Behind the Raise

Is your capital raise struggling because of the marketing, the offer, or the positioning? In this episode of Behind the Raise, Martin is joined by VirtualAd’s Brendan Manley to break down one of the biggest questions issuers face when conversions slow down: is the marketing not working, or is the offer itself not converting? They discuss how to diagnose performance across the funnel, from ad engag...

Why do retail investors actually say yes? In this solo episode of Behind the Raise, Martin breaks down the psychology behind retail capital decisions and why successful raises need to speak to more than just the numbers. He explains the two major investor mindsets founders need to build for: emotionally led investors who connect with the mission first, and analytical investors who need the financi...

What happens after an investor opts in, but before they actually invest? In this episode of Behind the Raise, Martin is joined by VirtualAd’s CRM and Automation Manager, Randy Jones, to break down the middle of funnel and why marketing automation is one of the most overlooked pieces of a successful capital raise. They discuss what MOFU actually means, how issuers can use automation to educate, nur...

What makes an investor ad actually stop the scroll and move someone further down the funnel? In this episode of Behind the Raise , Martin is joined by VirtualAd’s Head of Design, Danielle Fobert, to break down the design strategy and psychology behind creative that converts. They discuss why investor ads should not be treated like mini pitch decks, how the hook-story-offer framework helps structur...

Getting plenty of leads but no actual investors? In this episode of Behind the Raise , Martin and Brendan break down one of the most frustrating problems in an online capital raise: when interest is building, the funnel looks active, but investment conversions are not happening. They explain why issuers should not automatically blame the ads or traffic source, and instead need to diagnose the full...

What separates a raise that gains momentum from one that struggles to get off the ground? In this episode of Behind the Raise , Martin and Brendan break down the five core components every founder needs to nail before launching a successful online capital raise: a clear and investable offer, founder and leadership visibility, a real marketing engine, smart planning around funding, budgeting, and c...

Raising money costs money — but how much, and where does it actually go? In this episode, Martin and Brendan break down the true cost of running an evergreen capital raise, from pre-launch legal and platform fees to the ad spend that drives investors through the door. They cover what it really takes to "prime the pump" (think $20K–$50K+ before you raise a cent), why your minimum viable m...

Think you can just set up your offering documents and watch the money roll in? Think again. Successful online capital raises require active founder involvement, and in this episode, we reveal exactly what that looks like. Martin and Brendan outline the four essential pillars of founder leadership: narrative leadership (crafting the "why" behind your raise), content creation and evangeliz...

Before you launch your capital raise, ask yourself: are you truly ready? In this essential episode, Martin and Brendan break down the five critical factors that determine fundraising readiness. We dive deep into capital requirements (expect $100-200K in upfront costs), validation strategies including "testing the waters" campaigns, and how to assess your offer strength using VirtualAd&ap...

When it comes to funding their business founders think their only options are venture capital, bank loans, or bootstrapping. They're wrong. In the inaugural episode of Behind the Raise, VirtualAd co-founders Martin Kocandrle and Brendan Manley pull back the curtain on private capital markets — what they are, why they're growing fast, and why more founders are ditching the traditional VC...