Russell Mark Julius’ Post

I’m giving you an example of a pre-seed startup funding round in figures and as a process (pre-seed: the first funding round). After designing the best possible profile of an investor (be careful here and give it a lot of time) do a short list of at least 100 potential investors matching the selected profile. 1. 80-100 shortlisted potential investors 2. 40-60 1st meetings (50%) 3. 20-40 2nd meetings (50%) 4. 10-15 closed investments (40%) Just an example. If you know the absolutely best investors with the best potential match: then you probably can have just 10+ meetings to close the round. But that is rare especially these times. And the better you do the homework before even starting any investor discussions (revenue, deck, strategy work, team building, advisors etc.) the better results you get. #startup #startupfunding #angelinvestors #venturecapital #startupfounders

🚀 Calling all institutional investors who are interested in Pre-seed to Seed stage startups! You might have heard about London’s Largest Demo Day we hosted in April, where we had 100 pre-selected Pre-Seed to Series A stage #startups  #pitching to hundreds of #investors . We managed to gather high-quality startups to pitch on the day with the help of our 40+ investor partners. 🙌 We’re doing it again on the 14th of October and are expanding our investor partner list. This will help us rate the applicants and raise event awareness. In return, each investor partner gets early access to the deal flow and a couple of complimentary tickets for the event! 🎟️ If you’d like to join other investors and support us, please fill in the form (link in the comments). The form also includes more details on the process, expectations, and timeline. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿: • VCs • CVCs • Family Offices • Angel Syndicates 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? • 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘁: Driven mainly by applications and ratings, but we are aiming for full representation in hardtech, deeptech, and fintech. • 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁: All applicants will take a psychometric test designed by ETA Technologies to assess their team’s potential for survival. The results will be available to investors post-event. • 𝗦𝗣𝗩 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: We plan to create an SPV to invest in the top 2-3 companies, decided by the investor committee. • 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: We will host “The First Money In” pitching event for pre-selected founders who have undergone due diligence. Individual angels can commit up to £100k with a £1k ticket. We hope to have you on board with us. We will be announcing our investor partners next week. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 (𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀). Looking forward to your applications! 🚀 Each application will be manually reviewed before it is approved.

When we started with CapitalT almost 5 years ago we had this strong idea that investing in the best founders would results in a diverse portfolio. These are the founders that have the grit and passion to turn an idea into a successful business and face the challenges that inevitably come your way. These founders come in many shapes and forms and from all different backgrounds. You cannot pattern match them and there is not one stereotype. Since entrepreneurs often solve the problems, they face themselves, investing in diverse founders results in a strong portfolio with diversity in the types of problems that our founders solve.   That is why we are open to cold inbound pitches, and we actively reach out and make sure that we are visible to founders outside of our own networks. This hugely increases the pool of ideas from which we can select the very best founders. We then use a data-driven approach, which minimises our own bias. If we look at our portfolio today, we can only be humble to have been given the trust by these founders.     Thank you, Forbes, for the great article about our journey so far. It is still very early days for us, and we can’t wait to continue making waves in venture capital while generating amazing results for our investors. Read the full article in the comments! Eva De Mol Ph.D Geri Stengel   #capitalt #venturecapital #forbes #funding #startups #climatetech #futureofwork

What are the biggest challenges you've faced as an angel investor, and how did you overcome them? Angel investors back startups early on, based on trust in the founder and idea. This is risky due to uncertain outcomes. Concerns: - No oversight on spending or timeline. - Startup plans and ideas aren't verified. - Lack of updates from the founder. Solutions: Hire a team for: - Checking if spending aligns with plans. - Independent idea validation. - Assessing future strategies. This approach aims to secure investments by ensuring startups stay on track and transparent. Let me know what strategies would you apply in such a scenario and do share this with angel investors you know. #AngelInvesting #StartupFunding #InvestmentStrategies #Networking #startupindia #business #financialmanagement

As an investor, gaining access to promising startup opportunities is half the battle. The other critical piece? Knowing how to expertly evaluate those deals to mitigate risk and maximise potential upside. 📌 ➡️ Deal Sourcing Your startup deal flow begins with tapping into the right networks and channels consistently: •Startup platforms/websites: Platforms like Astute App showcase pre-screened, fundable startups across stages and sectors. •Angel groups: Joining an angel investor group provides direct access to highly vetted local deal flow. •Startup incubators/accelerators: Attend demo days and pitch events where top accelerator cohorts present. •Personal networking: Connecting with founders, VCs, lawyers, and other investors can unearth incredible referral opportunities. •Industry events: Startup conferences, pitch competitions, meetups - get out there and build your visibility. ➡️ Deal Evaluation Once you've sourced intriguing prospects, rigor in evaluating startups is crucial: •Founder(s) assessment: Evaluate skills, leadership abilities, cohesive vision and commitment. •Product validation: Look for proof of product-market fit through tangible traction metrics. •Market analysis: Gain conviction in the TAM size, growth trajectory and competitive dynamics. •Business model: Deeply understand the revenue model, unit economics and funding-to-exit plan. •Legal/financial review: Scrutinise areas like IP, financial statements, cap tables and corporate structure. The most successful investors have systematic processes for both finding and rigorously pressure-testing startup opportunities from all angles. At Astute App, we’ve made it easy for you to source and scrutinise deals. Simply download our app and sign up! 💯 #startupfunding #startupsuccess #startupbusiness #startuptips #investing #investment #investmenttips #investmentopportunities #investmentopportunity #pitchdeck #business #businessservices #finance #financetips #funding #astuteappio #astuteapp #astutefinance

Applications for Rare Founders #DemoDay close in T-3 days!!! 📢📢📢 Founders, apply for a chance to pitch your startup to a room full of top investors.   🗓️ Event Date: Monday, 14 October 2024   🔍 Eligibility Criteria:   •  Any sector, any location •  Pre-Seed (post MVP), Seed, Series A stages •  Clear vision for global expansion and actively fundraising   📅 Key Dates:   •  Applications close on 16 August 2024 •  Applications will be reviewed by 40+ investor partners •  Top 100 companies announced by mid-September •  Pitching day is 14 October 2024   💡 Why Apply?   •  Present your startup to hundreds of investors •  Even if not selected, gain significant exposure as your application will be reviewed by numerous investor partners   rarefounders.com/demo-day   #startup #founders #investment #DemoDay #pitching #networking #LondonEvents #rarefounders

Join me tomorrow at 10 am pacific on X for the Pitch Space, where you can pitch your startup to actual investors and exited founders, and receive valuable feedback on your pitch, revenue model, and business. Companies have been funded through this space. It’s a great opportunity for founders of all industries to learn how to build relationships with investors when starting with nothing. Most never get to use the formal pitch style taught, so I offer a unique pitching style that builds relationships. Don't miss out on this educational and valuable experience! There is nothing else like it. Follow the link to join: https://lnkd.in/gGMNsM7J #startup #founders #pitching #businessmodels #investors #investorpitch #web3 #web2 #tech

Great opportunity. If you are not familiar with it, this is a supportive process and if nothing else helps you connect with a tried and tested local network drawing from experienced entrepreneurs, proven advisors and local universities. For example, some previous entrants might not have secured investment at this stage but used it as a springboard for later raises. "Nothing comes from nothing", so get those applications in.