Startup Funding Espresso – Screening Criteria – the Fundraise

Startup Funding Espresso – Screening Criteria – the Fundraise

November 13, 2026 by investor

Screening Criteria – the Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In screening startups for funding, consider the fundraise terms. Here’s a list of key issues to review: Valuation. Is the valuation in line with the current market? Can the founder justify the valuation with the current value of the business? Comps. Does the valuation point to comps or comparable companies and their valuation? How similar are the comp companies to the startup? Fundraise amount. Does the amount of funding requested match the stage and goals of the startup? Raising too much or too little funding is a red flag. Previous fundraises. What did the founder accomplish with previous fundraises? Did they make good use of the funds? Current investors. Are the current investors following on? If not, do they still believe in the company, or are they not in a place to make an investment? Skin in the game. How much of the investment is coming from the founders? Skin in the game is a strong factor toward a successful outcome. Consider these points in screening deals for a startup investment. 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. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.


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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.