Investor Access to Customers Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the diligence process, investors may want to talk with the startups' customers. Their goal is to determine how well the product works and how committed they are to the startup's solution. This can be a…

The CEO Leads the Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In a fundraiser, the CEO should lead it by setting the strategy and engaging investors. This doesn’t mean the CEO must do everything by themselves. It does mean that the CEO does the pitching and investor …

Non-Dilutive Funding Options Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup funding comes in two forms: dilutive and non-dilutive. Equity funding is dilutive in that the fundraising reduces the ownership of the founders. Debt is non-dilutive in that the fundraise doesn’t …

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin, CEO of 10 Capital, introduces co-host Kat DeLillo and special guest Brian Wood of Wave Ventures. Brian delves into the innovative approach of Wave Ventures in partnering with universities to commercialize intellectual property. He shares the backstory of Wave Ventures' collaboration with Baylor U…

When To Consider Venture Debt Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup funding, there is venture capital and venture debt. Venture capital takes an equity stake in a startup in return for funding. Venture debt makes a loan to the startup for that funding. Both ha…

How To Stand Out From the Crowd Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it helps to stand out from the crowd of other startups pitching. Most founders will give the standard pitch, often with slides in the same order. Here are some key pointers to make …

Show the Business Model Unit Economics Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Early-stage companies pitching investors often have little revenue traction. In place of traction, show how the business model performs on the unit economic level. Calculate the cost of acquirin…

Raising Funding in a Down Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The best time to start a new business is during a down market. Labor is plentiful. The competition is on their heels. Yet, customers are still looking for a solution to their problem. In a down market…

What Angels Look For Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investors are not professional investors in the same way as venture capitalists. Angel investors are typically successful business people who want to invest in startups. The old angel saying is, they want t…

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Alan Foreman, the CEO of Be Secure, who discusses the transformative journey of his company in the realm of heart health. Alan shares that he founded Be Secure nine years ago after a lengthy career in Accenture's Life Sciences division. Currently, the company is on a $12 million growth raise to commer…

First Meeting With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After a number of calls with a prospective investor, there comes the first meeting in person. Here are some key steps in running that meeting: Introduce yourself and your team. Show the market you are p…

Early Stage Traction Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the very early stage of the life of a company, traction can be more than just revenue growth Here are some key traction points to look for. The founder has an idea. The founder has an idea and a pitch deck. Th…

Why Now? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it’s important to instill a sense of urgency in the fundraiser. One of the key elements is describing why now is the right time for this fundraiser. Follow these steps to show how everything is aligned fo…

Build Your Presence With a VC Fund Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding from a VC fund, it’s important to understand the partner team. Each VC fund has a number of senior partners, junior partners, and others such as analysts and scouts. One of the pa…

How To Say No to a Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors receive pitches from startups almost every day. Many of these startups simply don’t match the investment thesis of the investor. Here’s how to say no to a startup. Respond with the same level of e…

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin talks with Mike Sloan, CEO and founder of Simple Labs, about their groundbreaking product, Cogni. Mike shares insights from his background in both bourbon and wine country, emphasizing the industry's challenges such as significant losses from evaporation and spoilage. Cogni offers a comprehensive …

Don’t Play the Scenario Game in the Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders are confronted with many options for their fundraising. If they raise more, they can achieve more milestones. If they raise less, they can achieve fewer milestones. Some founders pla…

Raising a Series B Round Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising a seed or Series A round, the story carries the fundraising pitch. Investors in those rounds are looking at a seven to ten-year trek to the exit. In Series B, the time to exit is much shorter. The …

European Waterfall Model Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Venture capital funds use different payback structures. Each varies the structure for how the Limited Partners receive their returns. The European waterfall model does not pay back the carried interest to the…

How Performance-Based Valuations Work Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup funding, the valuation is often fixed and does not change. Performance-based valuation changes the valuation if certain conditions are not met. Here’s how performance-based valuations …

Roadmap for Medical Device Startups Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The path for a medical device startup is clearly defined. In building a medical device startup or diligencing one, consider this roadmap. Market requirements -- establish the current state of the m…

Building the Competition Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The startup pitch deck should contain a competition slide. Some founders start the pitch with, ‘we have no competition’. Avoid this, as investors will interpret this as if there is no market. The purpos…

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin chats with Christopher Ezold, a partner at the Pennsylvania-based law firm Wisler Pearlstine, which specializes in business, employment, and corporate law. Christopher dives deep into the fiduciary duties of board members, emphasizing the duty of care, loyalty, obedience, and confidentiality. He expl…

Party Rounds – Going Without a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, many founders believe they can’t raise funding without a lead investor. At the seed level, this is not necessarily the case. Founders should launch their fundraising ca…

SaaS Growth Metrics Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several key SaaS metrics to know in evaluating a startup. Here’s a summary of the key metrics: SaaS Quick Ratio -- New MRR divided by the churned MRR. This measures how efficient your growth is. Low effi…

How To Build Momentum in Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising has its ups and downs, including long patches of slow-paced activity. Here are some key steps in building momentum for your fundraiser. Always break the total fundraising into small…

How To Show Your Market Size Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The market slide in the startup fundraise pitch shows the total available market opportunity. Here are some key steps in showing your market size. Show the components of your market, including the number …

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin welcomes Herbert to discuss the pivotal role family offices play within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Herbert highlights the importance of understanding local accelerators, venture capitalists (VCs), and other funding sources in the community during the investment due diligence process. He emphas…

Best Practices in Telling Your Story Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Storytelling is a key skill in fundraising. Use these best practices in telling your story in the pitch to investors: Declare the problem as the villain in your story. This sets up a conflict. Rai…

How Much Funding To Raise Based on Valuation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In planning the fundraiser, the amount of funding is a key factor to determine. The funding amount should take the company to the next major milestone. It should give the company 18 months…

How To Wrap Up a Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In a pitch to an investor, there’s no need for an agenda slide or a summary slide. The investor knows the format of the pitch and what topics will be covered. There’s little time for summarization of what was c…

Basic Mistakes in Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the startup world, there are mistakes founders make in their fundraisers. Avoid these basic mistakes in fundraising Raising less than $250K. In the venture world, $250K is the lowest amount of funding…

Basic Due Diligence Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors pursuing an investment in a startup should perform due diligence on the business. The purpose is to evaluate the opportunity and ensure everything relevant is known about it. Here are the basic steps to …

Key Slides in Your Pitch Deck Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the pitch, there are specific slides that are key to the investor. Here’s a list of key slides to include in your deck. Problem -- provides the overall context for the startup. It must be a big proble…

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin talks with Herbert Drayton, a partner at Highmark Capital, about the importance of building capacity before expecting change in the startup ecosystem. They delve into the legwork involved in preparing companies for investor engagement, including managing pitch events, and running marketing campaig…

Burn Multiple Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Burn rate is the amount of cash spent over and above the revenue received. It’s typically calculated on a monthly basis. Burn multiple is a metric that calculates the capital efficiency of a startup. To calculate burn m…

Pre Seed Seed Seed+ Seed++ Series A Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup funding, the raises come in rounds. The startup can raise a pre-seed round followed by a seed, then a Series A, Series B, and so forth. Many founders view this approach as one step after…

The First Raise Is a Minimum Round Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising, many founders try to raise too much funding in the first round. This causes dilution for the founder as the valuation will be low. In startup fundraising, the first raise is …

Valuation Is the Primary Factor Impacting Returns Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many terms in a startup fundraising terms sheet. Valuation is the primary factor impacting investor returns. Here’s an example showing the impact of valuation on the returns…

Consider Dilution in Setting Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising dilution is a key issue for founders. At each stage of funding investors will demand a certain amount of equity. Here’s how much each round will cost a startup in equ…

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin chats with Christopher Ezold, partner at Wisler Pearlstine, a Pennsylvania-based law firm specializing in business, employment, and corporate law. Christopher shares insights on emerging legal risks and trends that businesses should prepare for, especially amid economic uncertainties in 2025. Key …

Diligencing AI Startups Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Artificial intelligence or AI brings new capabilities and applications. Many startups launch their business around AI technology. Investors considering an investment in an AI startup should check the following…

Medical Device Milestones Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The medical device startup has a well-defined list of milestones to achieve to bring a product to market. Here’s a list of key milestones for the medical device startup: Market requirements -- defines the cu…

Overcoming the Investors’ Hesitancy Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In fundraising, there comes a time when the investor must decide to join or pass on the round. Many investors hesitate to join as they try to decide. Here are some steps founders should take to ove…

How Private Equity Differs From Venture Capital Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Private equity and venture capital are different types of investment. Here are the key differences: Risk level Private equity takes less risk and thus a lower potential return than vent…

The Gap Between Seed and Series A Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup funding, we talk about preseed, seed, Series A, Series B, and so forth. It sounds like each stage is just one step after the other. When you finish your pre-seed round you raise your seed.…

In this episode of Investor Connect, we dive into the world of live entertainment as a service with Jason Seitz of Ticket Rewards. Jason provides an insightful overview of how Ticket Rewards is transforming live entertainment by partnering with brands and venues to offer a seamless, engaging experience for consumers. With a significant inventory of…

The Startups Advantage Over Big Companies Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While big companies have size, resources, and reach, the startup holds advantages of their own. Here’s a list of the startups' advantages: Focus - the startup can focus all its energy and res…

Startup Stages Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The startup goes through several stages before it achieves product market fit and then scaling. Here are the key steps that come before: The founder establishes the team. This is often driven by a passion or a business…

No NDAs Before the Investor Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising, the NDA comes near the end of the process, not at the beginning. An NDA stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement and requires the signatory to keep confidential any, and all inform…