Investor Connect Podcast

Asset Allocation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In angel investing, it's important to set aside funds for startup investments. In most cases, investors dedicate 5%-15% of their discretionary funds to angel investing. There are several issues with asset allocation for angel investing compared to publicly-traded st...

State Tax Credits Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Many states offer tax credits for startup investments. Those states with a state income tax will reduce your capital gains tax burden. The typical requirements are as follows: The business must be a C-Corp or an LLC entity. The entity was organized no more than 3 y...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Lawrence Chavez, CEO at EveryDay Contacts. EveryDay Contacts is a premium daily disposable contact lens, doctor-enabled, subscription-based, direct-to-consumer company designed for both patients and eye care professionals. Built around a unique technology that enhances the wettability of the silicone hydrogel daily disposable lenses, EveryDay Cont...

Stock Options Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Stock options are a key part of the compensation of employees. These are called Incentive Stock Options or ISOs. If you exercise and sell the shares immediately, the proceeds will be taxed at the ordinary tax rates for the difference between the exercise price and the...

In this our 700th episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes David Narrow, CEO at Sonavex. Sonavex is a venture-backed clinical stage Medtech company spun out from Johns Hopkins with two FDA clearances. The company's technology uses deep learning to improve arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation times for patients with end-stage renal disease. Despite the fact that the superior method of AV access...

Gains and Losses Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There's an old saying, it's not how much you make, it's how much you keep that counts. Tax management is an important topic for angel investors. There are specific laws that give tax breaks to investors for startup investments. The first is called Section 1244 which...

When to Follow On Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In most startup funding, there will be a need for additional rounds of funding. Here are some questions to ask before making that follow-on investment: Does the team demonstrate integrity? Do they have traction in the market yet? Do they hit milestones and are they...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Luis Rivera, Managing Director at HEXA Global Ventures. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Richardson, Texas, HEXA Global Ventures is a seed capital investment firm that brings more than just capital. They have created an ecosystem consisting of resources, experience, talent, and specific service companies to help visionary entrepreneurs shape t...

Apply Your Investment Thesis to a Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before investing in a startup, apply your investment thesis to it to see if it makes sense. Write out the company's strategy and how it fits into the overall market. Review their position relative to the competition. For the target company,...

Building Your Investment Thesis -- View of the Future Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For investing in a startup, consider the future and what will be needed then. Don't just look at the world as it is today. It takes several years to build a business and what you see now will inevitably change. Map the trends and...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Gustaf Brandberg, General Partner at Gullspång Re:food. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Gullspång Re:food makes enduring investments in entrepreneurs solving the food system's structural problems for generations to come. Portfolio companies such as Oatly, NICK'S, Planted, Motatos, and Stockeld Dreamery are all driving susta...

Invest Early-Stage or Late-Stage - What's the Challenge? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Venture capital has two choices in funding startups. They can go for early-stage companies or late-stage companies. So, which stage to focus on? The risks are higher for early-stage companies, but the valuations are lower. Any...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Gregory Dewerpe, Founder at A/O Proptech. Headquartered in London, England, A/O Proptech is Europe's largest proptech VC firm. They are stage agnostic, investing permanent capital to support entrepreneurs and companies from Series A to later-stage growth and they enable founders to create, iterate and scale disruptive products and platforms by lev...

Diligencing the Exit Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the startup's exit strategy, check the following: Do they have a list of potential buyers? What companies are on the list? What milestones must be met to qualify for a buyout? What price is the going rate for buyouts in this sector? Will the acqui...

Diligencing the Use of Funds Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the startup's use of funds, check the following points: How much is spent on compensation? Is it appropriate for an early-stage company? How much is spent on sales, and does it align with the company's sales strategies? How much is spent o...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Donna Harris, Founder and CEO at Builders + Backers. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Builders + Backers invests in exceptional entrepreneurs who are building global-scale ventures to power an entirely different future - one where technology creates value for many instead of capturing it for a few. Builders + Backers inves...

Diligencing the Terms Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the startup's term sheet, check the following points: Is the valuation or cap rate appropriate for the stage of the company? If it's out of line, then other terms such as liquidation preferences may be needed. What dilution will the investors go...

Diligencing the Legal Issues Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the startup's legal documents, ask the following questions: For the intellectual property, ask what was filed and when? Did they file a provisional patent or a utility patent? It takes three years from the date of filing for the patent to...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Alexander Borschow, Managing Partner at Semillero Partners. Founded in 2015, and located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Semillero Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in purpose-driven sustainable food and food tech companies. Investing in these sectors will empower a new generation of entrepreneurs working to create the companies...

Diligencing the Team for Skills Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the team, here are some key areas to check: Sales skills -- the CEO and others must be able to sell their product or service. In the early stages of a startup, there won't be a dedicated sales force, and everyone on the team must be abl...

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes James Wagoner, CEO at Joule Case. Joule Case is a portable power station that replaces gas generators and provides power wherever the power grid is unavailable or unreliable. Joule Case has developed a patented alternative energy technology solution that will make it the standard oil of the green revolution. Joule Case provides innovation in a lar...

Diligencing the Financials Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the startup's financials, ask the following questions: What is the key assumption behind the financials? Does it assume a product will reach the market at a specific time? Does it assume we'll have hired new team members by a certain date? W...

Diligencing the Customers in the Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In diligencing the customers in the market, check for the following: Who is the target customer? What is the ideal customer profile? What is the customer acquisition strategy and cost? Do they have a standard process for acquiring customers? F...

This is the Investor Connect KiwiTech 2022 podcast series. In this series, we discuss trends and topics in the startup world. I hope you enjoy this episode. _______________________________ Thank you for joining us for the Investor Connect KiwiTech 2022 podcast series. For more episodes, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect....

Diligencing the Competition In diligencing the competition, check to see how well the startup knows its competitors. Do they know what the competitors offer, how they price it, and what their advantage is over that competitor? Even if the startup tells you there's no competition, rest assured there is. Sometimes competition is for the customer to do nothing or do it themselves. The company's produ...