What Deal Structure Should You Use
There are two primary deal structures for your startup fundraise. There’s the convertible note which is a debt instrument that converts to equity later. However, if you want to use a straight debt instrument you should use a promissory note. Then there’s equity. It gives ownership rights in the company. The ownership is set by […]
Investor Connect – Grant Newlin of Newlin Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Grant Newlin of Newlin Ventures. Grant started his career as a management consultant at UI, before moving to investment banking, M&A, financial planning, and eventually working in food tech with Kraft Heinz. He ultimately started working with New Stack Ventures doing angel deals, before founding his firm, Newlin Ventures. Grant […]
How Much Funding Should you Raise?
Every day I ask entrepreneurs how much they are raising. Most begin with the big number–the full and complete raise they anticipate to run. This ranges usually between $1m and $10M. It’s good to have the big picture in mind. Some actually consider raising it all at once because “they want to get the fundraising […]
Investor Connect – Reed Berglund of iSnap
In this episode, Hall welcomes Reed Berglund of iSnap. Reed is a tech startup advisor and CEO of iSnap, a SAAS company with a platform that is helping businesses collect customer video stories and gauge customer satisfaction. As an advisor, Reed supports a portfolio of the company’s capital, content, time and experience. The current portfolio […]
Five Competitive Advantages: Virality
Competitive advantages increase revenue by 30% over the competition or decrease cost by 30%. Virality is a key competitive advantage in which users invite other users to join your platform. Virality reduces your cost of customer acquisition. It’s is different from Network Effects. Network Effects shows the platform increasing in value based on more users […]
Investor Connect – Ciarán Hynes of COSIMO Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ciarán Hynes, co-founder and Managing Partner at COSIMO Ventures, a deep technology firm specializing in Blockchain. With over ten years of deep tech market experience, Ciarán leverages his extensive network of investors, advisors, government agencies and business leaders throughout the U.S. to bring strategic benefits to these organizations. In this […]
Five Competitive Advantages: Network Effects
A competitive advantage increases revenue by 30% over the competition or decreases cost by 30%. Most businesses increase in value as the customer base grows and validates the product/service. Users encourage others to join the platform. This is called Network Effects. As the number of users grow, so the value of the platform grows as […]
Investor Connect – James Somauroo of HS.Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes James Somauroo of HS. Ventures. James is a Founding Partner at HS. Ventures, which build, scales and invests in the best health tech startups. James is a health tech contributor for Forbes and hosts the HS. Health-Tech Podcast, which is listened to in 80 countries. He’s an anesthetics and ICU […]
Five Competitive Advantages: Platform Based Solutions
Competitive advantages increase revenue by 30% over the competition or decrease cost by 30%. A platform-based solution is a competitive advantage over a single-product company, as a platform brings an inherent cost advantage. Platforms reuse the research, design, architecture, and product packaging. Customer support is also reused. Consider adopting a platform-based approach to your business. […]
Investor Connect – Kevin King of Texas Halo Fund
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin King, Managing Director of Texas Halo Fund. Texas Halo Fund (THF) is an investment company that specializes in investing in early-stage businesses with promising growth prospects and exceptional management teams. Their investment approach identifies compelling businesses from multiple sources and without regard to the industry or geographic location. They […]
Five Competitive Advantages: Recurring Revenue
Competitive advantages increase revenue by 30% over the competition or decrease cost by 30%. Recurring revenue is a key competitive advantage. In today’s world you would think every business has recurring revenue. Yet, I find most businesses who are raising funding did not structure their business for recurring revenue. Recurring revenue helps your business in […]
Investor Connect – Stephen Meade of MonetaPro.io
In this episode, Hall welcomes Stephen Meade of MonetaPro, a B2B sell-for-credit exchange using blockchain technology to deliver better efficiency, liquidity, and trust to global trade. Stephen is an entrepreneur, executive, and founder who has built numerous successful technology companies over the past 20 years. Stephen talks about how he entered the FinTech space and […]
Five Competitive Advantages: Channel Access
A competitive advantage increases revenue by 30% over the competition or decreases cost by 30%. Channel access is a key competitive advantage. Channel access lets you connect to a set of customers that others cannot. Perhaps your previous job gave you contacts throughout the industry that you can now leverage for your startup. Perhaps you […]
Investor Connect – Gary Madsen of ProTransit Nanotherapy
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gary Madsen of ProTransit Nanotherapy. Gary Madsen, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience in developing and launching biotechnology products in a wide variety of markets at companies of various sizes. He spent 17 years at Abbott Laboratories in product support, new product development and business development. His expertise in […]
How to Get In Front of Investors
In raising funding you need to find investors. So how do you get in front of them? First, identify the right type of investor and build up your network in that area. Know your sector, stage, and revenue category and look for those who invest in it. If your target investor funds biotech then you […]
Investor Connect – Djalil Reghis of Agroecology Capital
In this episode, Hall welcomes Djalil Reghis of Agroecology Capital. Agroecology Capital is a mission-driven early-stage venture fund that invests in technologies that help agriculture transition toward practices focused on safety, sustainability, productivity, and equitability. Djalil is an AgTech early-stage investor with an experience that spans roles in investment, M&A, Government Affairs, and Board Director. […]
Standard Startup Metrics Apply
Entrepreneurs are often enchanted with the idea behind their business that they think investors will write them a check based on the idea alone. Many have great ideas but I always say no matter how great your idea is standard startup metrics apply. New technologies can capture the imagination such as blockchain in 2017 that […]
Investor Connect – Stephanie Campbell of Houston Angel Network/ The Artemis Fund
In this episode, Hall welcomes Stephanie Campbell of Houston Angel Network and The Artemis Fund. Stephanie is the Managing Director of the Houston Angel Network, one of the most active angel networks in the country. She is also Managing Partner at the Artemis Fund, the first female-founded, female-focused venture fund in Houston, Texas. The Artemis […]
Five Competitive Advantages
When I ask an entrepreneur what their competitive advantage is, most point to their product and say it’s better. Of course, they spend ten minutes citing anecdotal stories to “prove” it. My definition of a competitive advantage is that it increases revenue by 30% over the competition or is a decrease in cost by 30%. […]
Investor Connect – Manuela de Paula of Babel Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Manuela de Paula of Babel Ventures. BABEL Ventures is a VC firm based in Silicon Valley that focuses on investing in early-stage startups founded by antifragile entrepreneurs. They focus on innovation and technology, partnering with revolutionary startups. In this episode, Manuela shares how she got into investing before Babel Ventures. […]
The Many Types of Startup Investors
When I started angel investing over twenty years ago, there were angels, venture capital funds, and accelerators. That was about it. Today there are many more investor types in the early stage funding arena. Here’s my experience with the investor types including how much they invest and what they expect as a return in general: Crowdfunders […]
Investor Connect – Rufo Guerreschi of Trustless.ai
In this episode, Hall welcomes Rufo Guerreschi CEO and Founder of Trustless.ai. Rufo is an entrepreneur, activist and researcher in the area of leading-edge IT security and privacy. As a founder of startups and NGOs over the last 20 years, he has strived to radically advance the state-of-the-art of security and privacy of private digital […]
Investor Connect – Faris Ghawi of Vytalize Health
In this episode, Hall welcomes Faris Ghawi of Vytalize Health. Vytalize Health enables primary care providers to enhance the scope of care provided for Medicare patients. Their comprehensive services include in-home, remote and brick-and-mortar care, as well as on-demand urgent care. Faris provides advice for investors coming into the healthcare space and highlights how the […]
Finding an Exit
How Investors can find an exit in a Startup Investment. One of the challenges for investors funding startups is finding the exit. Startups typically exit through an IPO or an acquisition by a larger company. As a startup investor you have little to no control over the exit and can end up in a deal […]
How Fundraising is like fishing
I meet a great number of entrepreneurs and have seen numerous approaches to raising funding. Some approach it as an opportunity to meet new people and explore another part of the entrepreneur ecosystem. Others see it as a chore that distracts from the real business such as product development, closing sales, creating the next unicorn (take your […]
Investor Connect – Bader Alam of CAVU Venture Partners
In this episode, Hall welcomes Bader Alam of CAVU Venture Partners. CAVU Venture Partners is a consumer-focused investment firm founded by operators, that aims to partner with operators in building high-growth and disruptive businesses. They are partners and operators first, investors second. Bader is the Senior Vice President at CAVU and has over 10 years […]
No Startup Investor Ever Said
There are some statements I’ve never heard a startup Investor ever say. Here are some of them: No startup investor ever said: -I hear way too often from that startup that I invested in. -There are so many good deals to invest in- where do I start? -The payback on that startup investment came fast. […]
Investor Connect – Follow up with James Sowers Angel Investor
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Forbes’ Top-50 angel investor James Sowers. Since we heard from James last, he has been speaking at several family-office conferences and working with corporations to further educate them on blockchain technology, and whether it is a realistic solution for them. James talks about some of the latest companies he […]
No Startup Ever Said
There are some statements I’ve never heard a startup CEO say. Here are some of them: -Fundraising just flew by. I didn’t have a chance to really enjoy it. -Sales is the easiest part of the business. -All my customers are happy and no one is complaining. -There are so many good people to choose […]
Investor Connect – Mark Lesney of Chilligence
In this episode, Hall welcomes Mark Lesney of Chilligence. Early in his career Mark worked in the retail-automotive space as Vice President of Operations with a large automotive company that was acquired by the Blackstone Group. Mark had colleagues in the entrepreneurship and startup space and was intrigued. He decided to change paths when his […]
Lottery Effect
Raising funding can have the same effect as winning the lottery. Those who raise funding are both exhausted and exuberant. It’s a big win for the team and promises a brighter future for the company. Just like the lottery, the sudden inflow of cash can change one’s perspective. Be careful to keep your spending in […]
Investor Connect – Flavia de la Fuente of BuildGroup
In this episode, Hall welcomes Flavia de la Fuente of BuildGroup. BuildGroup is an operator-led investment company that provides permanent capital to entrepreneurs building the next generation of technology businesses. Their innovative structure allows them to invest for the long term, so founders can focus on running their companies instead of raising the next round. […]
How to Tell if You’re Talking to a Pretend-Preneur
The startup world is open to anybody and it seems like everybody comes through it at some time or another. I receive calls daily from entrepreneurs who are seeking to start a business, raise funding, or hire a team member. I can always tell who is the serious entrepreneur and who is the pretend-preneur- someone […]
Investor Connect – Gene Wang of People Power
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gene Wang, CEO of People Power, a developer of consumer and white-label IoT solutions. Gene is a four-time CEO with a history of successful exits. Gene talks about how People Power uses IoT technology in the clean tech and senior care spaces, among others. He also provides advice for investors […]
Venture Capitalists Engage in Brand Marketing
In the past venture capitalists stood in the shadows of their successful portfolio companies hinting about their contribution using veiled wording in Twitter posts. Today we see VCs stepping up to take more credit for their contribution. There are numerous examples of VCs using successful exits as validation for their investment thesis. With the explosion […]
Investor Connect – Max Brickman of Heartland Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Max Brickman, Managing Director of Heartland Ventures. Max is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a passion for expanding technological innovation into smaller, underrepresented Midwestern communities. He founded Heartland Ventures, a $15mm Indiana-based venture fund, to enhance Silicon Valley startups’ access to this market. Heartland Ventures is a Midwestern-based, venture […]
Everyone Talks a Big Game
I love startup stories. In the startup world everyone has a grand idea and big plans to make it happen. It’s the venture world so you better have an idea that can be big. The talk around the idea is large and full of hyperbole. The future is going to be so bright that you […]
Investor Connect – Ben Jones of Skipcart
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Jones of Skipcart. Skipcart is an on-demand last-mile delivery company. Retailers, grocers, and local businesses have the option to give their customers same day delivery by utilizing software and a crowdsourced community of drivers. Ben started out as an entrepreneur working on the service side for large companies before […]
Everyone is a VC
When I look through my LinkedIn network these days it appears every fifth contact is a venture capitalist of one kind or another. When I started in the early stage funding world 20 years ago, the VC was a rare breed who had access to venture funding. Most of them were in a handful of tech […]
Investor Connect – Jef Sharp of Qnect
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jef Sharp CEO of Qnect. Qnect is an intelligent, cloud-based connection app that gives fabricators, detailers, and engineers fast and flexible connections with significant cost and schedule savings. In minutes, users can connect most steel buildings without capital cost and with minimal initial training. Two important benefits of Qnect include […]
Key Pointers for Startups Raising Funding
Here are some pointers for startups raising funding Launching a startup and growing a business is hard. It’s supposed to be hard. You need a complete team to start a business – someone building it and someone selling it. No fair, everyone on the team is building it and no one is selling it. Being […]
Investor Connect – Anton Golub of flovtec
On this episode, Hall welcomes Anton Golub of flovtec, a financial technology company focusing on providing liquidity for digital assets. After exhibiting a talent for mathematics at an early age, Anton eventually entered the high-frequency trading space, in a research position. Later he began working at a hedge fund, before transitioning to the blockchain space. […]
Three Key Pointers for Investors Funding Startups
Here are three key pointers for investors who are funding startups. The team is the most important part of a startup. Diligence should focus first on the team, not the product, space, or anything else. Monitor the startup for three months before investing to gauge momentum and traction. You need to peel back enough layers […]
Investor Connect – Trent Simmons of Bess Corp
In this episode, Hall welcomes Trent Simmons, Founder, and CEO of Bess Corporation. BESS Corporation is a private holding company that specializes in lower market business acquisitions. At Bess, Trent maintains responsibility for strategic direction, capital allocation, and effective communication across an array of majority-owned businesses. He also maintains direct control of M&A sourcing, execution […]
Designing for Virality not Revenue
Design for virality not revenue I heard a startup CEO once comment, ‘I wish I had designed for virality and not revenue.’ Virality is a key competitive advantage. The more your users share your information with others the more traffic and sales opportunities you will receive. Most companies set up their product and website for […]
Investor Connect – Jason Jacobsohn of Propellant Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jason Jacobsohn, Managing Partner of Propellant Ventures. Propellant Ventures is filling the funding gap with a powerful investment focus on fast growth early stage opportunities. They invest in “Game-Changing” companies with highly attractive valuations across underserved U.S. regions. Jason has always been an advocate for the entrepreneur. He has provided […]
10X Rule for Startups
10X rule your Startup Today, we’ll talk about the 10X rule for Startups. For startups to displace an incumbent, the offer needs to be 10X better than the current alternatives. So often, startups go to market promising their customer an ROI of 10, 20, or 30% better. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to win over customers […]
Investor Connect – Richard Raizes of Plutus21 Capital
In this episode, Hall welcomes Richard Raizes, Partner at Plutus21 Capital. Plutus21 is a Dallas-based investment firm focused on alternative assets such as crypto, venture capital, and real estate. Before early-stage investing, Richard received a finance degree from SMU in Dallas Tx. He then worked in both investment and corporate banking. Richard has worked in […]
How to Achieve an Exit
If they don’t define the exit, then you define the exit. Today, we’ll talk about how to achieve an exit in a startup investment. It’s easy to get into a startup investment, but difficult to get out- especially with a positive return. Most startup exits come when they sell the business to another company or […]
Investor Connect – Gerry Reihsen of Coasis Coalition
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gerry Reihsen, Founder and CEO of Coasis Coalition. Coasis Coalition is an organization that builds community and offers a range of services to all participating or interested in participating in Opportunity Zones – investors, fund sponsors, real estate developers, startups and traditional businesses, state and city governments, and public institutions.By […]
Investor Connect – Brett Lanuti of Nocimed
In this episode, Hall welcomes Brett Lanuti, CEO and President of Nocimed. Nocimed centers on providing a better approach to low back pain diagnosis and related patient management. Brett has been in the medical device space for 25 years, focusing on providing better outcomes for patients. Brett provides advice to investors looking to break into […]
Should You Invest in a Startup Fund
Should You Invest in a Startup Fund Choose broad or narrow investing to meet your goals Today, we’ll talk about investing in a fund and choosing between a narrow or broad investment thesis. When does a fund make more sense than direct investments? A fund works best when you are not familiar with a sector […]
Investor Connect – David Chaplin of SearchDex
In this episode, Hall welcomes David Chaplin of Searchdex. SearchDex is a Dallas based SEO Service and Technology company with over 15 years in the eCommerce solutions space. They believe that every search should produce meaningful outcomes. No other company can identify and solve issues as SearchDex does. Today, businesses need a navigator to drive […]
Should You Invest in Startups
Figure out what you want to invest in then look for resources to help Today, we’ll talk about investing in startups Should you invest in startups? Startups are very risky and it’s a lot harder than it looks. If you have already invested in mutual funds, index funds, stocks, bonds, real estate etc. then you […]
Investor Connect – Scott Augustine of Augustine Surgical
In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Scott Augustine, CEO of Augustine Surgical. Augustine Surgical is dedicated to developing innovative products that target surgical safety to improve outcomes. Dr. Scott Augustine is the inventor of the HotDog Patient Warming technology and is the world’s expert on patient temperature management, having also invented Bair Hugger forced-air warming […]
Know Your Metrics
Use Metrics to show your progress Today, we’ll talk about knowing your metrics Investors look for the metrics in your business so it’s important to know them. There are three levels of metrics you can use: Activity metrics show the basic activity of the business Unit economic metrics show the unit economic model including cost […]
Investor Connect – David Blankman of Title3Funds.com
In this episode, Hall welcomes David Blankman of Title3Funds.com. Title 3Funds provides investment opportunities in curated startups and growing businesses. They work with leading incubators to find the next big idea for their subscribed investors to hit home run after home run. David is an experienced serial entrepreneur, bootstrapping five startups in diverse industries. He […]
Investor Connect – Suri Ganeriwala of Spectra Quest Inc.
In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Suri Ganeriwala Founder and President of Spectra Quest Inc. Spectra Quest, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of complete Turn-key Systems for training and diagnosis in Machine Vibration Analysis, Rotor Balancing, and Shaft/Coupling Alignment. The system includes Machinery Fault Simulators, Interactive Training Program, Data Acquisition Hardware/ Software, and […]
What to Build First
Six months to build it and six months to sell it. Today, we’ll talk about what to build first in your startup. Some startups suffer from what I call the “Vision Problem”. They have a vision in their mind about what the product/service should look like AND they have to have it on the first […]
Investor Connect – Henry Liu of YGC
In this episode, Hall welcomes Henry Liu of Yeoman’s Growth Capital. YGC is a venture studio focused on driving enterprise adoption of blockchain. They identify enterprise blockchain needs within Fortune 500 companies, then launch, fund, and staff new ventures to pursue those opportunities. Henry was the head of investments for an open-source technology focused family […]
Investor Connect – Robert Morris of TerrAvion
In this episode, Hall welcomes Robert Morris of TerrAvion. TerrAvion provides high revisit rate aerial imagery for agriculture. Since 2016 they have been the largest volume provider. Robert founded TerrAvion in 2013. His professional mission is to make robotics work for agriculture. Robert led the first drone platoon in Afghanistan, where he realized that drones […]
The Growth Story
Show the system behind your goals Today, we’ll talk about establishing a growth story for your startup Investors fund deals based on the team, the market, or the technology. While these are popular investment thesis, the investment decision often comes down to what I call “the Growth Story”. This is your operational revenue model showing […]
Investor Connect – Jason Hull of Broadtree Partners
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jason Hull, Cofounder of Broadtree Partners. Broadtree Partners is a group of entrepreneurial investors focused on acquiring businesses where the owners are looking to transition from their current roles. They specialize in providing opportunities for owners to smoothly exit their companies and seamlessly change leadership, while preserving their legacy. As […]
Investor Connect – Ronald T LeMay of Main Street Data
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ronald LeMay CEO of Main Street Data. Main Street Data was formed in 2017 to bring precise data to the agriculture world. While data has improved in many other industries, agriculture remains behind the curve and Main Street Data has set out to change that. Main Street Data enables ag-related […]
Product and Market Validation
Validation — the Product Works and People will Pay for It Today, we’ll talk about demonstrating product and market validation In talking with startup investors the first two questions that come up are Product validation and Market Validation. The product works and someone will buy it. Investors look for evidence of this before moving into […]
Investor Connect – Follow up with Hélène Thibieroz of We Grow Green Tech
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Hélène Thibieroz, founder and senior managing partner of We Grow Green Tech. We Grow Green Tech focuses on accelerating growth for green technology innovation and impact by partnering with early to late-stage companies. In a previous episode, Hélène talked about shifting her career three years ago to enter the […]
Investor Connect – Christian Garces of Texas ColdWorks
In this episode, Hall welcomes Christian Garces of Texas ColdWorks. Texas ColdWorks is the first state of the art public cold storage complex being developed in Austin, Texas. With over 280,000 SF, it will house food producers, co-packers, and logistic companies. Before Texas ColdWorks, he was the founder and CEO of Tableaux. A manufacturer of […]
Raising Funding From Family and Friends
For family and friends funding — no one is getting paid back. Today, we’ll talk about raising funding from family and friends. Many startups launch their business with family and friends funding. Some entrepreneurs are often reluctant to take money from their family because — well Thanksgiving turkey tastes different if things don’t work out. […]
Investor Connect – Followup with Will Szczerbiak of Greycroft
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Will Szczerbiak of Greycroft Partners. Greycroft is a leading venture capital firm focused on investments in the Internet and mobile markets. They leverage an extensive network of media and technology industry connections to help entrepreneurs gain visibility, build strategic relationships, bring their products to market, and build successful businesses. […]
Investor Connect – Bruce Worrall of Intellasphere
In this episode, Hall welcomes Bruce Worrall CEO of IntellaSphere. IntellaSphere is the first Brand Affinity Marketing System. They help businesses/#SMBs market more effectively using a socially collaborative approach. Brand Affinity Marketing builds brand awareness and recognition with prospects and strengthens brand loyalty with customers. It’s an all-in-one service that’s simple, affordable and effective. Before […]
Know Who is Going to Pay for Product Development
Find customers to pay for the product before you build it Today, we’ll talk about product development for startups. In growing your business you must prioritize what products you develop. In developing a new product it’s helpful to ask ‘who is going to pay for it’ before you spend money on it. The goal is […]
Investor Connect – Richard May of Invest in Texas Initiative
In this episode, Hall welcomes Richard May Executive Director at Invest in Texas Initiative. The Invest in Texas Initiative is a statewide non-profit industry trade association of economic development officials, attorneys, consultants, developers, business owners, and other related service providers. Their mission is to promote the Texas investment landscape internationally. Before joining Invest in Texas […]
Finding a Lead Investor
Look for the right investor to lead your deal, not just the first investor Today, we’ll talk about finding a lead investor for your deal. I’m often approached by a startup who has several investors interested in their deal but no one wants to lead it. This is not surprising given how much work goes […]
Investor Connect – Kirk Otis of Merger Partners
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kirk Otis of Merger Partners. Hall and Eric talk about how companies can move their marketing function from a startup stage to a growth stage company. Merger Partners, a mid to lower market Investment bank, focuses on connecting entrepreneurs, business leaders, and management teams with the PE Capital market in […]
Use the Rule of 4 to Value Your Startup
Today, we’ll talk about how to value your startup. Since startups don’t have significant revenue then how do you value your startup when fundraising? Traditional tools such as discounted cash flow, book value, and other standard accounting techniques don’t work for early stage companies. For startup valuations we use the rule of 4. For each […]
Investor Connect – Gale Bowman of IrishAngels Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gale Bowman of IrishAngels. IrishAngels was formed in 2012 as an angel investment network affiliated with the University of Notre Dame. Investors in the network all have ties to the university and they currently have over 230 investors in their active network. IrishAngels focuses on seed-stage investing. They look at […]
What Documents do you Need for your Fundraise?
Today, we’ll talk about the documents you need for your fundraise. The pitch deck, the terms sheet, and the projections The first document is the pitch deck.This is usually ten to fifteen slides introducing your deal to the prospective investor. It should cover the basics of the business including the problem you are solving, the […]
Investor Connect – Ed Pearce of Paragon Digital
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ed Pearce of Paragon Digital. Before investing in early-stage companies, Ed was an attorney for many years. He was general counsel of two publicly-traded companies. When both companies sold, he went to work for a venture capital firm in Dallas. Ed has a love for starting companies and coaching people […]
The Investor Types for your Startup
Today, we’ll talk about the different type of investors you will find in the startup world. There are four type of investors for your startup — Venture Capital, Angel Investors, Family Offices and High Networth Individuals. There are lenders who provide debt financing but that’s a topic for another day. Venture Capitalists are professionals with […]
Investor Connect – Eric Bielke of GE Ventures
In this episode, Hall is joined by Eric Bielke with GE Ventures. After working with one of the early firms in Data Science, and a foray as an entrepreneur in the solar energy space, Eric joined the VC space focusing initially on energy investments. More recently, Eric has been focusing on aerospace and space tech. […]
Deal Structures
Today, we’ll talk about the deal structure you should use for your fundraise. There’s equity, and then there are convertible notes and SAFE notes. If you want a straight loan, then you should use a promissory note. Equity agreements set the valuation for the company and various terms of governance, preferences, voting rights and more. […]
Investor Connect – Jeff Canin of E8 Angels
On this episode, Hall welcomes Jeff Canin of E8 Angels and Element 8 Venture Fund. Element 8 Ventures is focused on entrepreneurial ideation, experimentation, research and education. They are investing in entrepreneurs that are tackling grand challenges, pushing the boundaries of innovation, and disrupting age-old practices, whilst creating new industries to drive socio-economic development. After […]
Should you Raise Funding?
Today, we’ll talk about should you raise funding and if so, how much should you seek. – Funding accelerates what you already have going in your business today. You should have a core process for acquiring customers and providing a service. If you don’t have it then funding at this stage will only hurt your […]
Investor Connect – Ben Faubion of Reactive Canvas
On this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Faubion of Reactive Canvas, and Austin-based digital design firm specializing in startups. He talks about how design has evolved over the years into a more strategic, problem-solving service. He explains how design is often becoming more and more integrated into a startup’s vision, and a focus throughout the various […]
Investor Connect – Jonathan Olsen of Unorthodox Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jonathan Olsen of Unorthodox Ventures. Unorthodox Ventures partners with founders who demonstrate disruption and discipline. Dreamers who do something. Tinkerers who create solutions to real-world problems. Jonathan has focused his career on tackling problems that are too quirky to fit into an existing mold. As an investor Jonathan has now […]
Investor Connect – Gabriel Jarrosson of Leonis Investment
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gabriel Jarrosson, founder of Leonis Investment. Gabriel was an entrepreneur at an early age, creating his first company while in engineering school. He then created his second company, Le Vin de France, a community marketplace for French winemakers, after leaving school. When he began investing, Gabriel quickly realized the benefits […]
Investor Connect – Kevin Van Eekeren of Fulcrum Investing
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin Van Eekeren, Founder and CEO of Fulcrum Investing. Fulcrum Investing is a private investment group focused on making seed to Series B investments in startups across the United States. Kevin is not only an investor but also an entrepreneur and a farmer. Before Fulcrum, Kevin worked as a civilian […]
Investor Connect – Kevin Koym of Tech Ranch Austin
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin Koym Founder & CEO of Tech Ranch Austin. Tech Ranch provides accelerators for pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies of Central Texas entrepreneurs. Kevin has developed a combination of training and web-based systems designed to create a local culture of success and entrepreneurship. Kevin’s mission is to help solve world […]
Investor Connect – Phil Nadel of Forefront Venture Partners
In this episode, Hall welcomes Phil Nadel, Founder and Managing Director of Forefront Venture Partners. Phil is an angel investor, author, and frequent speaker at industry conferences and events. Before he came to early-stage investing, Phil was a serial entrepreneur. His experience in starting and selling several companies led friends and family to look to […]
Investor Connect – Emlyn Scott of CP Ventures
In this episode, Hall welcomes Emlyn Scott, Managing Partner of CP Ventures. Emlyn has over 25 years of financial and business development experience in Australia and Europe. He has made 15 early-stage investments personally since 2012. CP Ventures has built high growth businesses and has invested in over 100 startups. They look to invest in […]
Investor Connect – Namek Zu’bi of Silicon Badia
In this episode, Hall welcomes Namek Zu’bi Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Silicon Badia. Before investing in early-stage companies, Namek has always been fascinated with technology. He moved to the US to pursue a degree in computer science at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh PA. He then went into financial services and wanted to work with […]
Investor Connect – Cole Harmonson of Far West Capital
In this episode, Hall welcomes Cole Harmonson, the President and co-founder of Far West Capital. Before Far West Capital, Cole was the founder and senior vice president of State Bank’s Working Capital Finance Group (WCFG), the asset-based lending and factoring division of State Bank. In 1996, Cole joined State Bank to start the WCFG, where […]
Investor Connect – Gina Luna of Luna Strategies
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gina Luna of Luna Strategies. Gina is a recognized leader with invaluable business insight. She is a trusted advisor to CEOs and business owners. As CEO of Luna Strategies, Gina counsels companies and their leaders on complex strategic issues and growth initiatives. She has established a reputation for partnering with […]
Investor Connect – Jake Ryan of Tradecraft Capital
On this episode, Hall is joined again by Jake Ryan, founder and manager of Tradecraft Capital. Jake brings over 20 years of professional experience in software technology to the world of crypto-asset investing. Following up on their earlier discussion, Jake talks about the state of Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market. In addition, Jake explains how […]
Investor Connect – Leslie Goldman of The Artemis Fund
On this episode, Hall welcomes Leslie Goldman of The Artemis Fund. The Artemis Fund is the first female-founded, female-focused venture fund in Houston, Texas. The Artemis Fund will be investing $20M in 15-20 female-led US-based companies that disrupt the Consumer Tech, Life Tech, Fin-Tech, and Energy Infrastructure industries. In this episode, you’ll learn Leslie’s background […]
Investor Connect – Chris Hall of Escalate Capital
On this episode, Hall welcomes Chris Hall of Escalate Capital. Escalate Capital is an Austin, TX-based Mezzanine Private Equity Firm, primarily focusing on high-growth late-stage technology companies, including SaaS, tech-enabled services, internet, and healthcare. Before investing in early-stage companies, Chris had his eye on mergers and acquisitions but at the time it was not feasible […]
Investor Connect – Fran Maier of BabyQuip
On this episode, Hall welcomes Fran Maier of BabyQuip. BabyQuip is a sharing economy business that helps families pack light and travel happy to hundreds of destinations in the US and Canada. Powered by a trusted community of trained, insured and amazing independent Quality Providers, BabyQuip delivers and sets up clean, quality baby gear at […]
Investor Connect – Constantine Potamianos of Black Bull Advisors
On this episode, Hall welcomes Constantine Potamianos co-founder and CEO of Black Bull Advisors. Black Bull Advisors is a hedge fund that utilizes a proprietary, artificial intelligence technology, to direct and manage technical trading within the crypto space; and operates as a primarily crypto-focused fund. Before Black Bull Advisors, Constantine began his career in engineering […]
Investor Connect – Karyn Scott of Care2Rock
On this episode, Hall welcomes Karyn Scott of Care2Rock. Care2Rock is a company that is absolutely committed and passionate about helping transform lives through music. This philosophy is rooted in everything they do, especially the teachers they select through a triple-vetting process to teach on the platform. Karyn launched Care2Rock in May of last year. […]
Investor Connect – Chris Bystrom of Ruca
In this episode, Hall welcomes Chris Bystrom of Ruca. Before investing in early-stage companies, Chris worked in UX design firms in Chicago, Tokyo, and New York. He has built large enterprise-grade software platforms for clients and ran his seed-stage startup for two years. During that period, he had a chance to see what worked in […]
