Investor Connect Podcast

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes by Laura Hilty, Principal at HealthX Ventures and Chief Strategy Officer at Ignite Data, to discuss her path from Epic to building and launching seven software products at a clinical research startup, supporting acquisitions, and ultimately seeing the business sold to Blackstone for $5B—before moving into early-stage health tech investing. Laura s...

How To Support a Founder Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to find good deals should consider how to support founders. The more the investor can support the key founders in their network, the better chance they have at finding a place on their cap tables. Good founders launch a new startup every fi...

Challenges of the Venture Studio Model Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Venture Studio model is a form of venture capitalism that brings numerous startups together and fosters their growth through shared resources and learning. Not all startups make it. The Venture Studio model takes the best of each failed sta...

Building Advocates for Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it's best to have a network of accredited investors to pursue. For those who do not, one can start building that network. Figure out where the angel investors in your area hang out. Find out what they read, listen to, and tal...

The Risks in Family and Friends Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising investment from family and friends is often a key step in a startup's fundraise. In the early days, there's no team, product, or customer traction. The founder has only an idea but lots of enthusiasm. It's a sign of validation that a f...

The Go-to-Market Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Go-to-Market slide is important for seed-stage companies pitching for funding. It shows how the startup will enter the market. Consider setting up an initial target market. List the top twenty customers who will buy your product and gather them into a grou...

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear from Randy Hubbell, CEO of Soliris Endovascular, a medical device company developing peripheral endovascular technologies for PAD and dialysis access. Randy outlines the company's two advanced programs: Soliris SX, a self-expanding covered stent approved in 45 countries with over 15,000 sold and about $5M in recurring revenue, and a breakthrough-designa...

Alternatives to an MVP Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Building a full-blown product is unwise at the early stage, as the startup will inevitably build the wrong thing. It's best to test the market first. Minimum viable products or MVPs are a better solution than a product, as it's cheaper and easier to do. The go...

Customer Intimacy in Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Customer intimacy is a strategy in which one builds a relationship with the customer about their care abouts and expectations. The more one knows about the customer, the better one is able to support and meet their needs. In fundraising, customer int...

Founders Who Got Lucky Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Some founders get lucky and achieve a successful exit of their business. They were in the right place at the right time with the right solution. Investors should be wary of founders who got lucky. Their luck may have come early in the life of the startup. It's...

Your First Round Should Have an Investor-Friendly Valuation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the first round is always the hardest. Here's why it's so difficult: There's often no product or revenue to prove traction. The team, in most cases, is unproven. The market is not yet well defined. The i...

Mitigate the Risks Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In a pitch, founders focus on the opportunity while the investors focus on the risk. Founders who raise funding have successfully shown how they mitigate those risks. Here are some key risks to mitigate: Team risks -- show how the team works well together. Cite a...

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear a pitch from Aether on addressing the global opioid epidemic with ATX-1209, a neuromodulator designed to modulate the mu-opioid receptor by suppressing dependence signals while preserving analgesic benefit when used alongside opioids, with additional development plans for opioid use disorder and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). The team cites...

Keys to a Successful Preseed Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising pre-seed funding is one of the bigger challenges in startup fundraising. This round comes at the idea stage, so there are no metrics around traction or product-market fit. Here are the keys to a successful pre-seed round. The current te...

How To Choose a Vertical SaaS Niche Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Vertical SaaS is a known business model that narrows the focus to a single application. This reduces the cost of capital to raise and gives the startup the opportunity to go deep on an application. Here's how to choose a vertical SaaS niche. Look...

How Not To Follow Up With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding should consider their approach to following up with an investor. Here's a list of ways not to do it: Have an admin send out the email follow-ups. At this stage, the founder should be building a relationship with the inve...

Investor Questions and What They Mean Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders pitching investors can learn a great deal about an investor by the questions they ask. Investors apply the founders' pitch to their investment thesis. They work through the pitch to see how it does or does not fit. For example, question...

How Angels Are Different From VCs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Both angels and venture capitalists invest in early-stage companies. Here are the key differences between the two: Angels invest their own money while VCs invest other people's money. This makes the angel investor more risk-averse, while the VC ofte...

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear from Dr. Swarna Balasubramaniam, a surgeon-turned-founder, who presents Noleus Leaf, a perioperative therapeutic device designed to restart bowel function and shorten the long, complication-prone recovery after major abdominal surgery, where patients often remain hospitalized 2 to 14 days waiting for intestines to "wake up." She explains how excess IV f...

Gaining Sales Traction for Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, revenue traction is a key driver in attracting investors. Here are some key steps to gain sales traction for your fundraise. Early-stage companies don't have a large number of users, as that will take time. Instead, start wi...

How To Maintain Presence With a Prospective Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it takes several touches to close an investor. It's best to create additional interactions with the investor beyond asking, 'are you ready to invest yet?' Here are some key steps to maintain presence with a pro...

When the Investor Says No Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the founder hears the response 'no' many times. Here's what to do when the investor says 'no'. Show gratitude. Thank them for their time and attention. Ask for feedback. Find out more about what they like about your deal and what they do...

Fundraising Is Project Management Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising is project management. In launching a fundraise, treat it like a series of projects. Here are the key steps: Start with investor documentation and build out the materials needed. Build a list of potential investors. Gain introductions to...

Starting a Relationship With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding from an early-stage investor, the founder must build a relationship with that investor. Here are some key steps to starting a relationship with an investor. Learn their background and experiences from online sources. It's i...

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin opens the new TEN Capital Connect event focused on applying AI to investing, bringing investors together to share tools, get feedback, and hear pitches while highlighting TEN Capital's work since 2009 connecting startups and investors, supporting fundraising strategy, and running multiple monthly events (https://tencapital.group/events) alongside...