$100M Exits with Jason Kirby

In this episode, Winter Mead, CEO and founder of Coolwater Capital shares his take on what it takes to support emerging fund managers. Coolwater Capital serves as an accelerator for emerging venture fund managers, offering training, resources, and a supportive cohort model to help them successfully build and scale their firms. He has influenced over 200 fund launches and continually adapting to th...

We're thrilled to have Diana Heldfond, the solo founder and CEO of Parallel, join us in this episode. Parallel is a cutting-edge virtual care platform focused on aiding children with learning and thinking challenges such as dyslexia and ADHD. Under Diana’s leadership, Parallel has raised over $29 million and now works with numerous school districts across the US, integrating healthcare and edu...

In this episode, we explore the opportunities and strategies of going public with Peter Goldstein, founder and managing director of Emmis Capital and CEO of Exchange Listing. Peter shares his extensive experience as a serial IPO’d entrepreneur in helping companies transition from private to public, detailing the intricacies of capital markets and the opportunities available for micro to small-cap...

In this episode, Shane Neman, an angel investor and founder shares his entrepreneurial journey from starting businesses during the dot com bust, facing failure on his initial tech venture, to selling his companies and transitioning to investing. As an investor, he looks for game-changing ideas and founders who don't necessarily need the money. Neman provides tips for founders on standing out i...

In this episode, Brady Nolan, co-founder of Till, takes us through his journey from real estate to fintech transforming rent payments, leading to Till's impressive acquisition by Best Egg after raising $16 million. We talked about the early challenges of aligning Till—a startup that innovated how rent is managed with flexible payments—to meet market needs effectively, and the tactics they used...

In this episode, I talked with Sim Desai, founder and CEO of Hiive, a platform to buy and sell secondary shares that recently raised $4.25 Million. Sim and I give a masterclass on the secondary market. If you’re looking to gain an insight into that world, this episode is for you. Sim also talks about his switch from a career in private equity brokerage to changing how people trade private company...

In this episode, we have Alex Simpson, fintech founder of OpenStock, who shares his story of transitioning from fintech to tackling liquidity problems for investors in private funds. Openstock helps open up liquidity for one of the largest untapped asset classes — private credit, private equity, and real estate funds to make it easier for people to access liquidity from their illiquid investments...

In this episode, I talked with Sherry Jiang, co-founder and CEO of Peek. Money, where she shares her journey from leaving Google to starting her own company. Blue Jay Finance aims to solve the problem of managing personal finances by providing an intelligent net worth tracker and personalized insights. Sherry explains her decision to take a bold bet on Asia and build her company in Singapore. She...

In this episode, we are joined by Thanasis Delistathis, managing partner and co-founder of Proof, to talk about their groundbreaking insider access strategy in venture capital. Proof partners with early-stage funds to invest in high-potential breakout companies, boasting a track record of success, including the recent acquisition of Jackpocket. With investments totaling approximately $350 million...

In this episode, Nick Cuomo, CEO of AllStar.gg , shares his journey from the e-sports world as a former pro-gamer to founding a gaming technology startup. With a background in graphic design, digital marketing, and SaaS sales, Nick discusses his career path and the evolution of AllStar's mission to empower gamers as creators. Nick walks us through his fundraising journey, detailing how he attr...

In this episode, Alon Talmor, the co-founder of Ask-AI, shares his insights into the future of AI and where the market is today as every company is trying to adapt. He also discusses how he built deep relationships with just a few investors and the challenges he faced raising capital in a down market in a crowded sector. Beginning with the success story of BlueTails, a startup he founded and later...

In this episode, Tyler Denk, a self-taught software developer turned CEO of beehiiv, a newsletter publishing platform, shares his story on how he built a product from scratch into a multi-million dollar company. From teaching himself to code to navigating the complexities of startup growth and securing a $12.5M Series A and reaching $7M annual recurring revenue, he's got cheat codes to fundrai...

In this episode, Jeremy Vaughan, a finance expert turned cybersecurity innovator and founder of Start Left Security tells how he secured a $3 million seed round, offering invaluable strategies and tips for fellow founders. His approach, from the initial grind through strategic partnerships to revenue focus, offers a blueprint for strategic fundraising and business growth invaluable to founders at...

In this episode, Vlada Lotkina, founder of ClassTag, shares valuable tips for first-time founders and fundraisers on successfully raising funds in a difficult category - education. She covers strategies for scaling ClassTag's user base to 5 million teachers and parents, convincing investors who initially said no, and selling the company smoothly after raising $12 million in venture capital. HE...

In this episode, Frank Licea talks about his employee-to-entrepreneur journey and the unexpected fundraising success of Howdy.com as a service-oriented company that raised $18 million in funding. He also shares his perspective as a Chief Technical officer and how bootstrapping has helped them create an upper hand during fundraising pitches and negotiations. HERE ARE SOME KEY POINTS IN THIS EPISODE...

Get ready for an episode that's a game-changer for SaaS enthusiasts! Kaustav Das, the visionary CEO and co-founder of Efficient Capital Labs, dishes out the details on revenue-based financing and its magic touch in turbocharging SaaS companies. Here's what's in store: The ins and outs of revenue-based financing and how it pumps cash into companies upfront based on their future earnings...

Buckle up for this episode – Nami Baral shares her journey from the inner workings of Twitter, to founding Niural. The episode unfolds the drama at Twitter that fueled her decision to chart a new path, exploring the nuances of fundraising, from a million-dollar pre-seed round to a $7 million investment for Niural.  Whether you're a startup rookie or a seasoned pro, Nami's insights on deali...

In this episode, we have Paul Kromidas, the mastermind behind Summer, a game-changing vacation home company that's turning heads with over $11 Million raised during their seed round and another $18 Million in series A and a $50M debt facility. We're talking practical empathy, perfect timing, and a killer structured process.  Paul shares his insights and advice for founders on how to craft...

We've got a visionary on the mic in this episode – none other than Ryan Eisenman, the brains behind Arch to discuss the need for software that helps investors manage their private market investments. We will dive into the uncharted waters of the private market as Ryan walks us through the Arch journey – from garage brainstorm sessions to tackling Series A like a pro. And let me tell you, it&#3...

Ali Ansari, founder, CEO, and the brains behind Micro One, shares his experience transitioning from an agency to a tech company and raising pre-seed funding. Join the conversation as Ali dishes on the hurdles of dodging the "staffing agency" label and convincing investors that Micro One is the real deal.  Ali emphasizes the importance of building momentum in a capital raise, engaging wit...

In this episode, prepare to be inspired as we tap into the expertise of Jordan Bantista, a prominent PR consultant for tech companies, who joins us to share his invaluable insights on navigating the PR landscape for founders. Jordan delves into the art of capturing investor attention before a capital raise, revealing the optimal timing and approach for announcing a capital raise, and underscoring...

In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, get ready to dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Julia Pimsleur, the founder and CEO of Million Dollar Women. Julia's story is a testament to the power of resilience and determination as she transitioned from being a documentary filmmaker to creating a groundbreaking language-teaching program for children. With no prior business background, she...

In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, we showcase Zach Bell, the co-founder of MyPlace.co , a social network for sharing places and assets with trusted friends. Zach shares his unique story of raising $6 million from freestyle capital as a pre-revenue company, a rare feat in the industry. He discusses how the idea for MyPlace.co started as a side hustle while solving his own problem of renti...

In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, we delve into the bootstrapping and fundraising journey of Jack Hamrick, founder and CEO of Foraged, a marketplace for wild and specialty foods. Jack's realization of the untapped market for specialty foods and the need to raise awareness led him to embark on a resourceful journey.  Uncover how Jack successfully bootstrapped in the early stages, util...

In this episode of Fundraising Demystified, Melissa Kwan, co-founder and CEO of eWebinar, opens up about the realities of being in survival mode before finding her footing in the business world. She discusses the challenging circumstances that led her to make the bold decision to pivot from a product company to an agency model. Despite financial constraints, Melissa's resilience and determinat...