Latest Episodes

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brandon C. White, Host and Editor of Build a Business Success Secrets podcast and playbook. Headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California, Build a Business Success Secrets is a monthly print playbook revealing the inner game about how to build a business. Readers get monthly articles…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In working with corporate VCs, follow these best practices: 1. Consider access to the R&D departments of the corporate VC and how much value that will add to your startup.…

In this episode, Hall welcomes John Dalton, Managing Partner at Industrial Device Investments (IDI). Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, IDI invests in manufacturers of industrial devices, sensors, machinery, and instruments. More specifically, they prefer specialty product companies that have $5 - $50 million in revenue, $1 - $6 million in earnings,…

Corporate VCs can leverage their position in the industry to sign up good startups with an investment. The corporate VC brings a network of partners, distribution channels, a brand, an existing product line, and more.  An investment can leverage their research dollars and achieve more than if they build it…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Patricia (Trish) Costello, CEO & Founder of Portfolia. Trish is internationally recognized for her pioneering work in preparing venture capital investment partners through the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program, which she launched in 1994 with the Kauffman Foundation, and continues as CEO Emeritus. At Kauffman Fellows,…

Companies setting up a corporate VC arm often make the following mistakes: Treating the corporate VC arm as purely an acquisition pipeline. There are several other ways to gain value from a corporate VC structure than just recruiting target acquisitions. Not taking enough risk in selecting startups to pursue. The…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Greg Shepard, Founder of BOSS Capital Partners. Headquartered in San Diego, California, BOSS Capital Partners is a boutique consulting firm dedicated to working with technology businesses that need operational expertise and guidance to achieve capital-efficient and rewarding outcomes. By utilizing the BOSS - Business Operating…

In setting up a corporate VC fund in your organization, consider the following: Start with the legal structure. You can either create an LLC legal entity for the fund or move the fund inside the corporate structure. Next, establish your investment thesis in alignment with your corporate strategic objectives.   Build…

This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled "How to Solve the Cannabis Problem", you'll hear about participation in the cannabis sector and what investors look for. As the COVID…

While traditional venture funds increase their fund size over time, corporate VCs should keep their fund size low. Traditional VCs seek higher compensation and can do so by increasing the size of the fund which increases their management fee. Corporate VCs are often compensated as employees of the company with…