Raising funding for a unicorn seems like a mystical art.

The funding rounds are outsized compared to the norm.

Here are the key components to raising funding to be a unicorn:

The team has exits.

If your team doesn’t have a history of successful startups, then build out your team with more experience and star power.

The team has a known business model that can be applied to a new growth area.

This is often a recurring revenue stream built around a new industry segment that is now inflecting upward.

The investors are familiar with unicorn deals and have had success with them.

Look for early investors in past unicorns as potential investors for your deal.

Scalability is the primary concern.

Build scalability into your business through recurring revenue, virality, network effects, and more.

Have experience with the domain or sales channel prior.

Many successful startups have built businesses in the domain prior to becoming a unicorn.

This gives the founding team an edge through their network.

Consider these points in raising funding to be a unicorn.

 

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
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Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing.
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Disclaimer:
Hall T Martin is the director of Investor Connect, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the education of investors for early-stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for the basis of investment decisions.