Investor Connect Podcast

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders need to bring startup mental models to bear on their business. Here's a list of key mental models to know: Least worst option -- use this model when all options are not ideal. Jobs to be done -- use this model to discover how your product fits into the customer's workflow....

In this episode, Hall welcomes Rohit Gupta, Managing Director at Future Communities Capital. Headquartered in Berkeley, California, Future Communities Capital looks for technology entrepreneurs focused on disrupting legacy industries such as government, healthcare, finance, and real estate. Portfolio companies are tackling problems ranging from smart city infrastructure to disease outbreak managem...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching your business, investors will ask questions about metrics such as customer acquisition cost, lifetime value, and churn rates. The purpose of the question is to discover what systems you have built into the company and how robust they are. In the early stages of a startup...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Julio Moreno, Partner and Co-Founder of Santa Cruz Angeles (SC Angeles). SC Angeles invests in early-stage startups from across Latin America in areas of fintech, logistics, AI, and more. As of now, SC Angeles has close to 40 angel investors as members who pay a monthly membership. SC Angeles has invested in 8 startups and investment funds, with tickets ranging from...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a startup, time management is a key skill for the founder. Here are some key steps in managing time: Set up a schedule with standard meetings, routines, and to-dos that recur each week or month. Schedule your day in advance so you're ready to execute the day when it comes...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Neal Vail, angel investor and Chief Technical Officer/Co-founder at Progenerative Medical. Progenerative Medical is a pre-commercialization stage medical device company focused on expanding clinically proven reduced pressure therapy into spinal and orthopedic indications. Their initial clinical application is to significantly improve clinical outcomes and satisfa...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching your business, focus on the benefits your product or service provides rather than listing out the features. Features answer the question -- what, or what is it? Benefits answer the question -- why, or why do you want it? In pitching your business, go beyond the features...

This is Investor Perspectives. I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled "How to Solve the Biotech/Life Sciences Problem", you'll hear about participation in the Biotech/Life Sciences segment and what investors look for. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The biotech...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, there are many ways to blow the pitch. Here's a list of common mistakes startups make: Losing your temper and letting emotions get the better of you. Investors want level-headed people they can work with. Building the company only for the exit. There must be a...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Josh Chodniewicz, Founder and CEO at Fundify. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Fundify is a tech-driven equity crowdfunding marketplace that enables anyone to invest in next-gen startups alongside industry experts. They work closely with experts in a wide variety of industries to review and comment on investment opportunities. Fundify makes it simple for anyone and ev...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a business, it's important to use written contracts. It's easy to negotiate an agreement verbally, but this often leaves loose ends that become a problem later. A written contract makes clear the responsibilities and duties of both parties and what each owes the other. It...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Nicolas Colin, Co-founder and Director at The Family. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in London, The Family nurtures entrepreneurs through education, unfair advantages, and capital. Moving at startup speed, The Family is transforming a portfolio of non-linear companies, special projects, and virtual infrastructures into a connected community of entrepreneurs, opera...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, you must have a growth story. Investors want to know your business is in motion with momentum and traction. Investors look for activity in four areas: sales, team, product, and fundraise. These are the factors under the control of the startup. Other factors such...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Darren King, Fund Manager and General Partner at Unbridled Ventures. Unbridled Ventures' fund consists of accomplished angel investors who provide funding and expertise to help entrepreneurs fulfill their American dream. Darren has spent a lifetime working for and consulting with small businesses in Indiana and Kentucky. The son of a small business owner, Darren has...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are basic principles around fundraising that apply in every situation. First, the most important step in fundraising is to build a relationship with the investor. The more you know the investor and the more they know you, the better the outcome. Second, demonstrate results in...

In this episode, Hall welcomes David Blackledge, Angel Investor, Professor at Grand Canyon University, and Attorney at Davis Miles Law Firm. David is full-time faculty at Grand Canyon University's College of Business and 2020-21 Teacher of the Year. Fall 2021 will be his seventh year teaching at the school which quickly became a second calling for him. David is an active investor in multiple angel...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Many entrepreneurs fail to build a financial forecast claiming they cannot predict the future. The purpose of the financial forecast is not for future predictions, but rather for communicating the business plan to the investors. From the forecast, the investor learns what growth rat...

This is Investor Perspectives. I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled "How to Solve the Biotech/Life Sciences Problem", you'll hear about primary trends and what makes for a successful company in this segment. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The biotech space is...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. If you successfully raised your seed round you will find that Series A funding to be a new challenge. Series A funding is different from seed funding in several ways. In seed funding, the entrepreneur must convince the investor that they can sell the product. In Series A funding, th...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Carolyn Lowe, CEO & Founder of ROI Swift. Founded in 2015, ROI Swift is an agency made up of fun and approachable digital marketing experts who are passionate about growing small and medium businesses. They offer expert management in Google Adwords, Google Shopping, remarketing, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Pinterest - pretty much every digital platform - and take pr...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. So, who does the Venture Capitalist serve? The VC raises funds from the Limited Partner and invests in startups. In talking with entrepreneurs, they make clear the VC serves the Limited Partners first. Many founders talk about how helpful the VC is to their company and personal grow...

In this episode, Hall welcomes Eric Thome, Director at VentureSouth. VentureSouth is an early-stage venture firm that provides capital and expertise to Southeastern startups through their angel investment network and funds. Since their inception with the Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) in 2008, VentureSouth has grown to include more than 350 active investors, making them one of the largest a...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many metrics for determining how well your SaaS business is doing. Net dollar retention is a key metric that indicates the health of the business. To calculate it, take the revenue at the beginning of the month, plus upgrades, minus downgrades and churn. Divide this by the...

In this our 600th episode, Hall welcomes Paul Glover, Author of "WorkQuake" and Executive Coach at Paul Glover Coaching. Paul is the "no BS work performance coach", a "recovering trial lawyer", an ex-felon, an unabashed Starbucks addict, a Chicago Bears fanatic, the author of WorkQuake, a speaker on business and leadership topics, and a member of the Forbes Coaching Council. In 2001, based on his...

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors look for certain things in the pitch to decide whether or not to pursue. In pitching VCs, make sure you cover the following points: Say what your company does in 10 words or less. This provides context so the investor knows how to understand the rest of the pitch. Show how...