Investor Connect Podcast

What Are Co-Lead Investors? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor typically takes up to half of the round in return for leading the diligence and setting the valuation. When there is a great deal of work to be done and no single investor will take the lead then one can recruit a co-lead investor. A co-...

Disadvantages to Being a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While there are many advantages to being a lead investor there are also disadvantages. Here's a list of disadvantages to consider: The lead investor must convince the other investors to agree on the proposed terms. Not everyone will agree with...

Advantages to Being a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While the lead investor has many responsibilities there are also advantages. Here are some advantages to being a lead investor: Gain a better understanding of the startup through diligence work. Gain a position in the startup or on the board. Bett...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Rob Johnson, CEO at MotionAI Technologies. Located in San Francisco, California, MotionAI Technologies is pioneering the development of a Small Motion Model (SMM) that focuses on biomechanics using proprietary sensor data to train AI models. The company is specifically targeting the consumer fitness market with an innovative approach that incorpor...

Attributes of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor leads the process of negotiating the terms of a deal with a startup. Here are some key attributes of a lead investor: Has a strong interest in funding the startup. Has previous experience with venture capital investing. Is familiar wit...

Responsibilities of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor leads the diligence and negotiations with the startup. Here's a list of responsibilities of a lead investor: Recruits investors to join the diligence team and divides up the work. Engages in the process of diligence as well. Orga...

What Is a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A lead investor is an individual or a group that leads the startup funding round by performing the diligence and setting the valuation. The lead is an investor who represents the investors in the terms negotiations with the startup. The lead is typically the...

Managing the Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After winning the grant, the work begins. The research must be carried out and the grant providers must be kept informed. Here are some key points to consider in how to manage your grant. Review the rules of the granting program and set up a plan to comply. Check...

Best Practices for Writing a Grant Proposal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant proposal will be read by many people of varying background and technical skill. Here's a list of best practices for writing a grant proposal. Make sure your proposal aligns with the goals and objectives of the granting organizati...

How To Write a Compelling Abstract Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In applying for a grant, it's important to include a compelling abstract. Not everyone involved will read the entire grant proposal but most everyone will read the abstract. Here are some key steps in writing an abstract: State clearly what you pla...

On this episode of Investor Connect, we wrap up our three-part series on the evolving funding landscape for MedTech companies with a rich and insightful discussion featuring a distinguished panel of guests, including Paul Janeski, angel investor and Board Member at Koretsu Forum, along with other industry experts. In this final installment, our guests dive deep into the critical aspects of MedTech...

Mistakes in Applying for a Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Grant applications are complex and come with many challenges. Here is a list of common mistakes in applying for a grant: Failing to make clear the purpose of the study. Failing to support the hypothesis with facts, studies, and evidence. Not planning...

Sources of Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are numerous sources to search for grants. Here's a list of sites to consider for your grant: Grants.gov -- this site lists all the SBIR grants available from the US government. National Institute of Health grants -- lists all the NIH grants. National...

How To Write a Grant Proposal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many sources of grants beyond the government such as family offices and foundations. These private organizations seek to further their mission through grants to those who can advance the technology or the cause. Here are some key steps in writ...

How To Prepare a Grant Application Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant application process can take over three hundred hours to complete. Take these steps to prepare to complete a grant application: Review the eligibility criteria to ensure you qualify for the grant. Setup an account on grants.gov Download t...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jed Ng, the founder of AngelSchool.vc. AngelSchool.vc is a global accelerator for angel investors, providing training and support for emerging venture investors. The program guides participants from making their first investments to leading syndicates as "Super Angels." With the backing of over 1,300 limited partners (LPs), AngelSchool.vc deploys...

Conditions for Using a Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. SBIR grant funding comes with requirements for how to use it. SBIR funds for phase 1 are focused on determining the scientific or technical feasibility of a new concept or innovation. The goal of the funding is to reduce the technical risk and increase t...

Success Rates for Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Grant funding is challenging to obtain. Only a fraction of applications receive funding. Over the years the success rate of winning a grant has fallen. The SBIR grant process comes in three phases -- phase 1, 2 and 3. In 1998, the success rates for ph...

Where To Find Grants Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many sources of grants for startups. The main funding source for government grants is the SBIR and STTR grants. These can be found at grants.gov The site provides a search engine for finding grants based on keywords. The user can also register with gra...

Lifecycle of Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant funding process goes through a well-defined lifecycle. Here's the lifecycle process: Planning the grants -- the granting agency plans the grants to offer based on its mission, goals, and budget. Announcing the grant -- the granting agency announc...

Pros and Cons of Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are pros and cons to grant funding. Here is a list of pros: The funding does not need to be paid back. The funding is non-dilutive as no equity is given. Grants are easy to identify. Grants won can help in raising funding from angels and venture...

Checklist for Writing a Grant Application Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before writing a grant application make sure you have these things ready to go: A clear statement of the status of the technology and how it works. A value proposition of the technology and how it can provide benefits. A clearly defined goal...

In this part two of the three-part series, we continue to explore the evolving funding landscape for medtech companies. Over the past three years, access to capital has become more challenging, pushing startups to adopt innovative commercialization strategies. Our guests, including experts from Hatch Medical and PavMed, discuss the importance of forming strategic partnerships with midsize companie...

How To Use Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After winning a grant, you'll need to apply the grant funding to your project Consider these best practices on how to use grant funding: Build a rapport with your grant representative. The grant representative is your contact point with the granting organiza...

Applying for a Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In applying for a grant consider these factors: Set aside time for writing the grant application. It takes over 300 hours to properly write an SBIR grant. Make sure you are giving it the time and attention it requires. Understand the grant review process. Each g...