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Screening Criteria – the Team Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In screening startups for funding, here are the key criteria for vetting the team: Number of team members It's best to have a complete team of three to five. Short of that, one looks for a team that covers the basic skills required -- someone is building it, and someone is selling it. Many founders. More than two founders can be a problem. There are too many leaders and not enough people to execute on all the ideas. Technical founder. The lack of a technical founder is cause for concern, as the group may find it difficult to grow. Lack of industry knowledge. Founders who made it elsewhere often take up startups in high-growth areas. Make sure they know the industry well. Startup experience. Corporate types often leave the big company to start their own business. The work model between a big company and a startup is very different. Too many other jobs. Founders who work part-time on the business will find it difficult to gain traction as a founder's job is full-time, if not more. Consider these factors in vetting the team. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Work of a VC Scout Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The VC scout searches for qualified deals for the venture capital firm. Here are the basic tasks of the VC scout: Scouts search for deals by joining events, pitch sessions, angel groups, and other sources of deal flow. The scout analyzes each deal to see if it fits the venture capital fund's investment criteria. In most cases, the startup must meet key metrics required by the fund, such as revenue levels, growth rates, CAC:LTV ratios, and more. The scout analyzes the financials to determine the state of the startup. The scout researches the competitors and determines its competitive position. The scout also analyzes the market for size, growth rate, and structure. Unit economics are often a key factor as well. Finally, valuation is a key component of the research. The scout checks to see if the valuation is in the range that the VC will fund. The scout often participates in the due diligence process as well as the term sheet negotiations. Consider bringing on a scout for your VC fund. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Max Schuster, entrepreneur, startup investor, and marketing lead at Capacura, a German venture capital firm focused on impact investing. Capacura specializes in education technology, health technology, and climate technology, backing companies where scalable business models directly correlate with scalable social and environmental impact; the firm first vets economic viability, then applies an impact filter, narrowing thousands of annual applications down to roughly 10 investments. Max shares his path from early stock market investing into entrepreneurship and venture capital, and outlines Capacura's early-stage evaluation criteria—team, timing, business plan, idea, and investor synergy—along with common investor misconceptions around betting on "the next Facebook" versus diversification and evidence-based selection. He explains how Capacura uses AI and data to screen pitch decks, aggregate internet signals, and assess trends, discusses healthcare tailwinds from demographic shifts and innovations like automation, robotics, and precision diagnostics, and mentions Capacura's investment in TimeTeller in chronomedicine. He also covers why Capacura is making startup investing more accessible to individual investors and how founders can benefit from that network effect. Visit Capacura at www.capacura.de/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/startupmax/ , and on [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Reverse Criteria for Deal Flow Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors often have criteria for the startups they are looking for. Some investors also have reverse criteria for deal flow to point out startups they will not fund. Here's a sample list of reverse criteria: Solo founders Many successful startups have at least two founders. Lack of a technical founder on the team. Most successful startups have a technical lead in place. No track record. Some investors look for a founder who has had an exit previously and has started more than one business. Lack of emotional intelligence. While many investors look for intelligence, the true test is emotional intelligence. This comes out in how well they work with others. Small target market. Some startups are making a go of it in a small market. This may make it difficult to scale later. No clear exit strategy. It's often the case that the startup has no exit strategy in place. Investors look for a clear path to an exit. Consider creating a list of reverse criteria for your startup investing, as it will save you time in reviewing deal flow. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Many Challenges in Angel Investing Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investing comes with many challenges. Here's a list of how to deal with them: One's angel investing experience will inform one's investment thesis. That's why every angel brings a unique perspective to the process. It takes more than intelligence to win at angel investing. It requires emotional intelligence as well. The one who can control impulses will do better than those who don't. Taxes on the gains are an issue. Every angel investor should study how to mitigate taxes throughout the investment process. Choosing the winners at the earliest stages is often difficult. There are many exogenous factors that come into play before the exit. Look for the basics in a startup -- strong team, compelling product, and large market. A product is not a company. It takes a team, a customer, and a market as well. Optimism is required to achieve success. Pessimism alone will not succeed. Look for what will work in addition to what might go wrong. Avoid the overly complex and stick to the simple. Consider these principles when facing challenges in angel investing. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Value of Proprietary Insights Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In selecting startups to fund, investors often use various deal flow channels to find the ones that fit their investment thesis. In addition to deal flow, the investor also needs proprietary insights. This comes from not only seeing a wide range of deals but also knowing which deals stand the best chance of an exit. Proprietary insights come from understanding the needs of the acquirers of startups. These are often larger companies that grow by acquisition. Knowing their care abouts and requirements gives the investor a keen insight into which ones will most likely be acquired. This includes the sector, stage, and key metrics. For example, this could be fintech companies in the scaling stage with a CAC:LTV metric above 1:8. An investor can gain proprietary insights by building a network of CEOs in the target area. Spending time with that CEO network will unveil a list of care abouts and opportunities for a startup investor to pursue. The more the investor knows about what the acquirers are looking for, the better the investor can select companies to fund. Consider how to gain proprietary insights for your startup investing. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Alternatives to a Down Round Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. During down markets, the founder may find it a challenge to raise funding at a higher valuation than the last round. If the company is not doing well, there's the possibility of a down round. Instead of a down round, consider the following: Raise more funding but at the same valuation as the last round. This move sideways avoids the down round but generates more funding to continue the growth. Run an internal raise giving existing investors a lower valuation. This works best by offering investors the option to invest more at the same valuation as their original investment. Current investors gain more shares at their original valuation but in a company that has progressed further. Reduce the amount of funding raised but at a slightly higher valuation. This generates some funding for critical needs but doesn't dilute the previous investors as much as a down round. Finally, the founders could avoid a down round by giving up some of their shares to compensate new investors joining the round. This could be structured as warrants. Consider these steps for avoiding a down round in your startup. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Jockey, the Horse, or the Track Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders building their pitch deck have a choice as to how they frame their deal. They can focus on either the jockey, the horse, or the track. Here's how to frame your startup in this model: Focus on the team. This is the jockey in our analogy. Show how the team has the right skills to take the company to a successful exit. Describe their backgrounds as well as their current execution on the project. A focus on the product is the horse. Show how the product is superior to the competition. Highlight the value proposition the product brings. Finally, a focus on the market is the track. In this case, discuss the market and why it's a great place to launch a startup. Show how the industry segment is doing well and why now is the time to launch a startup. Consider how you pitch a startup. Is it the jockey, the horse, or the market that makes it a compelling 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Brian Birk, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sun Mountain Capital Advisors. Brian brings a unique combination of experience as an entrepreneur, business operator, and investor, with a background spanning technology, life sciences, venture capital, and private credit. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sun Mountain Capital Advisors is an asset management firm focused on venture capital and private credit, with an emphasis on supporting businesses in underserved markets across the Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions. The firm was founded on the recognition that while innovation and technical expertise are spread throughout the United States, venture capital remains concentrated in a handful of major markets. Sun Mountain works to bridge that gap by providing capital and operational expertise to promising companies that might otherwise struggle to attract traditional investors. Through its venture capital investments, the firm supports early-stage businesses developing innovative technologies, while its private credit strategy helps established, growing companies access financing without significant equity dilution. Brian brings firsthand experience to this approach, having helped build and lead several startups, including Mettaweb, which was acquired by Google, Prowess Software, The BIOS Group, and Applied Minds. He also spent six years at Boston Consulting Group, working across technology and life sciences. His background as an entrepreneur has shaped his investment philosophy, particularly his emphasis on operational expertise, leadership, and trust when evaluating founders. Brian discusses the opportunities and challenges of investing outside traditional venture capital hubs, the differences between venture capital and private credit, and why founders should build their financing strategies around realistic exit expectations. He also shares insights on developing regional startup ecosystems, the growing importance of angel investors, and how the right combination of capital and experienced leadership can help businesses succeed. Visit Sun Mountain Capital at sunmountaincapital.com Reach out to at [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

What To Outsource in Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising requires a great deal of work. At the core of it is the CEO pitching and following up with investors. There are elements that can be outsourced to others. Here's a list to outsource in your fundraise: Branding and Design The logo and color scheme on the pitch deck may be done better for a professional graphic designer. Social media Writing content and posting on social media to create buzz about the company may be done better by social media specialists. Data entry. Capturing investor names and email addresses is better outsourced to an admin. Scheduling. An admin can schedule calls and meetings with prospective investors. In the end, the CEO should run and drive the fundraising campaign. The admin side of the work can be outsourced. What cannot be outsourced is the strategy and the pitching. This should be driven by the CEO at all times. Fundraising requires some tasks that can be outside the skill set of the founder. Consider outsourcing those tasks. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Building a Go-to-Market slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A key slide in the pitch deck is the Go-to-Market slide. This slide shows how the startup will enter the market and generate adoption. Here are some key steps to build a Go-to-Market slide for your startup: Identify your ideal customer profile and show how it fits into the industry sector. This includes the type of company, the contact point, and their careabouts. Show the channels to be used to reach the target audience. Highlight the products to be sold and how they fit each type of customer. Showcase the marketing that will be used to generate leads. Include conversion rates to show the growth in the market. Conversion rates should be based on initial testing done by the company. Contrast and compare this to industry standard rates. Show how the marketing will generate virality. Estimate the organic growth rate that will occur without marketing. Contrast that with the growth rates that can be achieved with viral marketing. Use these steps to build a Go-to-Market slide for your startup. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Deciphering the Investors' Response Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After the pitch, the startup seeks feedback from the investor. Sometimes the follow-up is clear and cogent. Other times, the feedback is vague and unclear. Here's how to decipher the investor's response: "This is not in my sweet spot." This is a vague way of saying no, as it gives no specifics. This response means the investor just doesn't find enough interesting information to move forward. "How much have you raised so far?" This statement indicates the investor doesn't want to lead and is wondering if anyone else is in the deal yet. This means the investor is interested but doesn't want to take a leading role. "You're too early for my investing thesis". This means the investor doesn't see enough value to pursue it. This could mean the investor will come in later when traction starts to take hold. "Do you have a deck you can send me? This statement means it sounds interesting, but I need to see how far along the deal is. It's not clear to the investor what is there, but it sounds like something that could be fundable. Consider these steps in interpreting the investor's response. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Make the Advisor Role Successful Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup advisors can be a great resource to founders. Here are some key factors that can make the advisor role successful Be selective in choosing them. Look for an advisor who is the best in their field. Timeline is a key factor. Find an advisor who can help now and not sometime in the future. Set achievable goals that everyone understands. Use milestones to set the goals so it's clear what needs to be done. Determine how to work together. This includes timelines and who will do what. Determine the compensation and gain agreement on it. Have a backup plan in case things don't work out. In choosing an advisor, consider the stage of the company, the industry sector, and the work to be done. Fundraising work is typically compensated more than general advice. Consider these factors for your advisor engagement. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Why Give Stock Options to Employees Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups give stock options to employees as part of their compensation package. Most startups create an options pool at the Series A fundraise. A founder-friendly term sheet will have both the investors and the founders pay for the options pool. In an investor-friendly term sheet, the founders will pay for the options out of their equity. It's important to create an options pool as it provides incentive to the employees. It allows the founders to provide another means of compensation. Without it, the founders will need to compensate employees out of cash. In a startup, cash is precious and should be conserved. The options pool takes pressure off the cash reserves. Options should be vested over a four-year timeframe. This ensures the employees stay with the company long enough to earn the shares. Consider creating a stock options pool for employees in your company. 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Brenda Hogan, CIO at Venture Ontario, to discuss how Venture Ontario operates like a sovereign-wealth-style investor focused exclusively on backing venture capital funds across general technology, life sciences/medical devices, cleantech, and climate tech. Brenda explains how fund-of-funds and co-investment models help develop Canada's venture ecosystem over multiple fund cycles by bringing together institutional capital, governments, universities, corporates, and other partners to help companies move from product-market fit to true global scale. She shares what she looks for in consistently outperforming venture funds—strength and resilience of the team, clear thesis, disciplined decision-making, governance and board value-add, and the reality that due diligence begins long before a formal process. The conversation also covers trends such as continued life sciences momentum, the shift toward deeper tech, common fundraising mistakes founders make, the importance of stage fit and risk management, how governance supports faster scaling rather than bureaucracy, the value of diversity for broader deal flow and talent access, and a life-sciences partnership model that brings universities, family offices, institutions, and a professional VC manager together; Brenda closes with advice on transparency, "skin in the game," and fit when raising from LPs, and notes she can be reached on LinkedIn. Visit Venture Ontario at www.ventureontario.ca/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/brendamhogan/ , and on [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ 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 [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.