Raising Capital in a Competitive Market: Lessons from Drive Capital’s Avoilan Bingham
In a recent founders Office Hours, Avoilan Bingham, General Manager and Investor at Drive Capital, shared candid insights on what it takes to raise capital and build a durable startup in today’s market. He emphasized that while pre-seed funding has become more competitive, strong companies with real traction can command meaningful valuations. The key, he […]
How to sell your story through your pitch deck
A flawless pitch — more particularly, a perfect pitch deck — can make or break a startup seeking investment. Delivering a flawless pitch deck gives you access to an investor who could contribute transformational funding to your company, making it the most critical aspect of a successful meeting with a VC. Embrace the power of […]
Seven success tips for business start ups
Starting a new business can be difficult, especially for someone who is doing so for the first time. Finance, time management, customer service, reputation can be draining, but they don’t have to be. Here are seven tips to help you along your new business journey. Get a mentor Obtaining a mentor is critical and serves […]
The science of startup valuation
When it comes to evaluating a company, there are two factors to consider: potential and ambition. A startup’s potential is assessed using qualitative approaches such as a scorecard and a checklist. These components consider everything from the founders themselves to the strength of their intellectual property and the market in which they operate. What is […]
Three things to remember when diversifying your startup’s cap table
“…ensuring diversity within our cap table has been a must — and has proven instrumental to our success. Breaking down your cap table to diversify your investors based on a variety of criteria will provide far more value than funding alone…” – Oriana Papin-Zoghbi Read more.
Finding your startup’s valuation: Five factors to consider
A startup’s valuation denotes what it is worth at a given point in time. Factors that make up the valuation include the 1) development stage of the product or service 2) proof-of-concept in its market 3) the CEO and their team 4) valuations of peers or similar startups 5) existing strategic relationships and customers; and […]
SBA TARGETS BLACK BUSINESS FOR MONEY
According to Godfrey Hinds, an economics specialist, the Small Business Bureau is working hard to build a marketing plan to engage impoverished populations with not only program information, but also empowering educational opportunities. Read more.
The Top 10 Traits That Attract Investors To Your Startup
With the rise in startups, a whole new vocabulary has come about. Terms like “unicorn” and “pivot” are being used by people outside the startup sphere. Here’s a handy resource to reference when you need to reference terms you’ve never heard of. Read more. ➝
The amount of venture dollars going to Latinx startups jumped 143% last year
The amount of venture capital going into Latinx-founded startups surged last year, but such companies still get a disproportionately small percentage of total venture dollars, according to a new report.Latinx-founded companies across the US raised $6.8 billion last year, according to the report Wednesday from Crunchbase. That amount was up 143% from the $2.8 billion […]
The 11 Slides You Need to Have in Your Pitch Deck for 2022
If you’re soliciting funds for your company, having an impressive pitch deck is a must-have weapon in your fundraising arsenal. An excellent pitch deck piques the interest of potential investors in your idea and engages them in a discussion about your company, hopefully leading to an investment.In this essay, I’ll walk you through the formula […]