In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the SaaS sector. This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. It’s the time of…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Venture Capital method of valuation uses a discounted cash flow combined with a multiples-based valuation.  The valuation…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Annette Finsterbusch, President & CEO of EnPower, Inc. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, EnPower is focused on developing scalable, engineering-based innovations that unlock the full potential of lithium-ion, high energy…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The CEO must operate in two modes: managing and leading. As a manager, the CEO must define the strategy, recruit the team, and set…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Alex Suarez, Co-founder and Chief Legal Officer at Door Capital Partners, LLC and Managing Partner at Suarez Law Group.  Door Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in hospitality assets to increase its…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Companies with a strong culture do better with investors, customers, and employees. Building a company culture is the long game, not a…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Krista Morgan, General Partner at Stage and founding partner of the Stage Fund. With its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Stage makes control-based investments in businesses that have proven market traction but need a…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Having a strong company culture helps the startup succeed. Customers and partners are attracted to companies with strong cultures. It…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Abby Levy, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Primetime Partners. With its headquarters in New York, NY, Primetime Partners are an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in, and builds from the ground up,…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. An entrepreneur raising funding must demonstrate confidence.   Investors will look for someone who has confidence in their…

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Jake Ryan, founder and CIO of TRADECRAFT Capital and author of “Crypto Asset Investing in the Age of Autonomy”. “Crypto Asset Investing in the Age of Autonomy is an indispensable handbook showing new and…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There’s a quantitative side and a qualitative side to due diligence. The quantitative side includes checking the list of documents…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Anil Ramineni, CEO of CQ Infotech. CQ Infotech was founded in 2005 and is based out of Laguna Hills, California and India. It is an IT solution company that specializes in end-to-end managed IT, infrastructure, and…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Entrepreneurs are often concerned about the confidentiality of their information.  During the initial engagement with the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup investing, investors take in information from the startup about the product, team, financials, revenue, and more. This…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ashu Garg, General Partner at Foundation Capital. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Foundation Capital was founded in 1995. As an early-stage venture capital firm, they have lived through the emergence of the World…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing a startup, the size of the market is a key question. The larger the market, the greater the growth potential of the…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Kiyan Zandiyeh, CIO at Sturgeon Capital. Headquartered in London, England, Sturgeon Capital is a leading frontier markets investment boutique. Since the establishment of Fund 1 in 2016, they have made nine investments….

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. How can an investor group make the diligence process manageable?  Here are some steps: Standardize the diligence process Break…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Tools are important for running a deal-flow process.   You’ll need tools for managing deal flow, running diligence, and…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Archie Cheishvili, CEO of GenesisAI. With its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, GenesisAI is a Machine Learning protocol. On top of this protocol, they are building a marketplace for AI products and services -…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In early-stage investing, someone needs to take the lead and screen the deals, diligence selected ones, and negotiate the valuation…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a diligence process it’s important to keep track of the progress of team members. Set up frequent follow-up calls to…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are three phases to diligence before funding a startup: Documentation diligence Team diligence Domain diligence For…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Braden Barr, seed investor and Board Member at PostitPlayit, and Charles Reinert, Co-founder of PostitPlayit. Based in Dallas, Texas, PostitPlayit Inc. is a startup offering a first of its kind alternative to fantasy…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running due diligence it’s important to build a team and bring others into the process.  A deal lead should take care of…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After the diligence is complete and the open questions answered, the team must decide whether or not to invest. It’s important to…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups can raise funding even without a lead investor. In this situation, the startup acts as the lead. Here are three steps to…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups who find an investor expressing interest often stop their fundraise as they believe – or sometimes hope – this will be the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A startup investment goes through a series of stages. It starts with the pitch presentation in which the startup introduces the deal…

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on COVID-19’s impact on the CPG sector. This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. It’s the time of…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I’ve had startups approach me and give me one or two lines about their startup. When I start to ask questions, they say they can’t…

In this episode, Hall welcomes R. Adam Smith, Founder & CEO of Big Sky Partners. Headquartered in New York City, New York, Big Sky Partners collaborates with companies and their brands to develop, grow, and maximize their potential. Through expert…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a deal follow-up process, you’ll need to create a diligence report. Here are some key points to consider: Start with a…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Alpesh Patel, part of the Global Entrepreneur Program (GEP) at the Department for International Trade in the UK. The UK Government’s Department for International Trade has under it the Global Entrepreneur Programme…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. To pitch an investor, you’ll need a carefully crafted startup story.  Just any old story won’t do.  Tell the story in…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are five key elements to a startup story. Today we’ll talk about the Plot. After you establish the theme, hero, mission, and…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are five key elements to a startup story.    The Mission is the job to be done.  It’s the goal of the hero…

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Ford Smith, Founder & CEO of Ultranative. Ultranative is the ultra level of alternative medicine. Ultranative is a cannabis investment firm with over 5 years of industry-specific experience. They are a venture…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are five key elements to a startup story. The hero is the character whose journey the audience cares about the most.  In a…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Harold Lavender, Director of Finance & Business Development at ABQid@CNM Ingenuity. ABQid, powered by CNM Ingenuity, is devoted to helping high-growth startups access the knowledge, resources, and connections they…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Your story is a critical part of your fundraise pitch. There are five key elements to a startup story.   The first is your…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are five key elements to a startup story. Today we’ll talk about the obstacle. The obstacle stands between the hero and the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are three stories every startup should be able to tell to investors.  The first is your origin story which tells why you…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Marans, Partner at DECKO.  DECKO designs your presentation (s) to ensure investors and/or customers see the most important information upfront and remain engaged. DECKO works with you to tell your company’s…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. How does due diligence vary between angels and venture capitalists? At a high level, the diligence is the same between angels and VCs….

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In talking with startups, I find the investor must always probe for the final answer. A single question rarely reveals the full…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Anne Glover, Chief Executive and Co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners. Amadeus Capital Partners is a global technology investor. Since 1997, the firm has backed more than 130 companies and raised over $1bn for…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Jane Zhang Ph.D., Founder & CEO of Remmie. Remmie Health is a medical technology startup targeting the most common reason for a sick child visit – otitis media (ear infection), with 16 million episodes per year in…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After an investor expresses interest in funding your deal, the first question to ask is, “What is your diligence process?” While…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding just as in running your business, investors look to see if you own it. Do you own the challenging problems, or do…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Bob Morse, Founding Managing Partner at Strattam Capital. Strattam Capital invests in founder-led independent B2B software and technology companies outside of Silicon Valley. They believe in aligning with founders and…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In launching your startup, look for a trigger that indicates when to start a fundraise campaign. Common triggers include: Closing a…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching your deal to an investor, it helps to know your investor first. What type of investor are they — angel, family office,…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Bryan Hancock, Founder of RealStarter. Founded in 2014, RealStarter is a real estate crowdfunding platform focused on Texas-based projects, but open to investors all over the U.S.  Bryan has participated in real…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the challenge for each round of the raise is different.  At the seed round, the challenge is to convince the…

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the healthcare market. This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. It’s the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Negotiating the valuation of a startup between the CEO and the investors is a major step in funding. An equity terms sheet requires…

In this episode, Hall welcomes John B. Strong, an Albuquerque angel investor.   John B. Strong is known throughout the technology industry as a passionate leader, entrepreneur, and innovator and admired for his exacting tactical execution to…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing.Humility plays an important role in your fundraise.Startups demonstrating arrogance and hubris are discounted quickly by investors….

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Matthew Le Merle, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Fifth Era and Keiretsu Capital to discuss early-stage investing and “The Intelligent Investor: Silicon Valley”,  a book Matthew and his wife Alison Davis…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I talk with entrepreneurs every day about their fundraise. The most common question from the early-stage startup is, “Am I…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In meeting with a prospective investor, come prepared to discuss the following: Sales — ALWAYS have something to say about customer…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Bernard Vogel, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Endeavour Vision. Endeavour Vision is a leading private equity firm exclusively investing in medical technology. This singular focus requires deep sector knowledge and…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising, there’s money and then there’s smart money. Smart money is an investor that can help your business beyond…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brandon Knicely, CEO of Xcite.  Recently headquartered in Austin, Texas, Xcite is a gamified engagement platform in pro sports and conferences that engages and monetizes online events. They are the only…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the movie The Godfather, Marlon Brando plays Don Corleon, the leader of the Corleon family. At one point someone asks him why he…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Greg Spillane, CEO of Fancy. Fancy is inspiration made shoppable. They are a highly-curated, discovery-based, social marketplace consisting only of verified sellers. Users come to Fancy to discover, share, and shop the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In closing an investor, you’ll need to provide basic documents about the business to prospective investors for their due…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Pitching a startup with complex technology or product can be challenging. This is especially important for those in the healthcare…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Larry Uhl, a Vice Chairman of the Pasadena Angels. The Pasadena Angels were founded in 2000 and are one of the longest-running angel investing groups in Southern California. Their mission is to create a unique investment…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There’s an old saying: If you tell me, it’s an essay. If you show me, it’s a story. In raising funding you have to show, not…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Trey Addison, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Nascent Group Holdings (NGH).  Nascent Group Holdings is a Columbus, Ohio-based, hybrid, private equity and venture capital firm that invests in the Midwest’s…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I’m often asked how long it will take to raise a round of funding.  It will take you one calendar year for every million…

In a follow-up to our recent episode featuring Optios’ CEO David Bach, M.D., today Hall welcomes both David and Paul Sajda, Ph.D. professor at Columbia University to discuss the science behind Optios. Optios is a leader in the rapidly-emerging…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising a fund is hard.  Aside from sales, this is one of the hardest things to do in a startup. Here are a few points to…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. If you are pitching to a close friend or family member, you can use an informal approach to ask them for money. Explain what your…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin Keck, President of J.J. Pfister Distilling Company. With its headquarters in Sacramento, California, J. J. Pfister is a fast-growing premium craft spirit producer in Sacramento that produces top-quality spirits….

In this episode, Hall welcomes David Bach, MD, CEO and Founder of Optios. Optios is a leader in the rapidly-emerging neuro-­performance industry. Based on more than a decade of work at DARPA, hundreds-of-millions of dollars of proprietary research,…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I often see CFOs and board members give the investor pitch instead of the CEO. In an emergency this is okay, but by and large, the CEO…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Reagan Rodriguez, Founder & Chief Volunteer Officer at WORTHYdomes. WORTHYdomes designs and manufactures sustainable long-term dome structures providing near-immediate housing relief in hard-hit areas. The domes are…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching an investor, the key presenter is the CEO.   While board members, CFOs, and others can make the pitch, that’s…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Adam Weiler, CEO of Sunken Stone. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sunken Stone is a turnkey performance-based Amazon marketing solution that handles everything from marketing, to brand launch, content, inventory,…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most of the work in a standard board meeting are perfunctory duties such as approving minutes and reviewing financials and metrics….

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board members are a key part of a growing startup. Building out the board is an important step in setting up the company for success….

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The board is a key part of the team that makes the startup successful. When you are in the early stage, using family and friends…

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Sajol Ghoshal, CEO & President at Advanced TeleSensors/Cardi/o. Cardi/o is the first-to-market touchless cardiac sensing solution, making in-home health & wellness accessible to over 100 million people….

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. You may want to add independent board members to your board. The independent board member may add value to your company by bringing…

In this episode, Hall welcomes back William Santana Li, Chairman and CEO of Knightscope. Knightscope builds Autonomous Security Robots in Silicon Valley (Made in the USA!) and their long-term ambition is to make the United States of America the safest…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. So, what is a board observer? In general, the board observer is just that, an observer. Someone who listens to the discussion but…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board meetings are important for gaining input and advice on how to run the business. To get the most out of your board meeting, start…

In this episode, we welcome Beau Flowers, Chief Executive Officer of Flowtex Energy.  Flowtex Energy is an Austin, Texas independent oil & gas producer. They maximize the unique tax benefits and tremendous cash-on-cash returns available…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Board members can help the company in many ways. Here’s a list of potential support:  They can help recruit employees for the…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups with product-market fit that are generating revenue should consider installing a board. The board of directors provides…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In growing your startup, one of the best assets you can have is a strong and engaged board of directors. The board should have members…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The startup board is typically led by the CEO. Some boards fall into formal roles to tackle specific tasks such as compensation or…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a board, there will be conflicts and bad behavior. Here are some to watch out for: The board member who disrupts the group…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Maria T. Millan, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). CIRM is California’s stem cell agency. Its mission is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical…

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several types of board members.  Each provides a contribution to the board dynamic. Here are the types you may see in…

In this episode, Hall welcomes Sarah Jennings, Assistant Director of The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Yellow Jacket Fund I. The Cedarville Beyond Angel Network and Fund provides early-stage capital to strong entrepreneurial teams with developed…