The journey for your startup is just beginning
Yipee! Your startup has been funded. You suddenly have sufficient capital to put in motion the plans your pitch deck promised your new investors. Term sheets negotiated, first wired funds received, shares issued. So, now what? The world of startups is filled with cautionary tales of startups which can’t seem to navigate the new world…
The venture capitalist is actually looking for a reason not to invest in your company
It is an industry accepted standard that venture capitalists will fund one of 100 deals. Some entrepreneurs will not be given more than a few minutes to pitch; others will get a longer meeting, while a lucky few will move into a process of successive interviews and discussions. But, in the end, only one deal…
Learning these five facts will save you time and frustration
Every year hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors congregate at the base of the mountains at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. Over the course of two days, approximately 50 IT, life science, and cleantech companies make their pitch to an audience of venture capitalists and angel investors. (This year's event is combining virtual and…
Instead, start focusing on pitching for revenue
Most of us in the entrepreneurial space, whether building, supporting or funding early-stage companies, assume attracting investor capital is just the normal course of business. We have been conditioned to believe or accept that once an entrepreneur gets a business underway, raising investor capital is just part of the plan. Some entrepreneurs begin crafting their…
If you can't make your pitch within 10 minutes, however, you're not ready
How you approach a venture capitalist (VC) can be the difference between receiving a quick glance or gaining direct attention. It can be very tempting to cold call venture capital via web search results or chase down a harried VC at an entrepreneur event. While those attempts may work, it's a low probability tactic and…
Attributing value is a source of countless rolled eyes, smacked foreheads and arguments
When a new company is launched, the odds are stacked heavily against the entrepreneur. It is stacked especially high against the tech entrepreneur. University of Tennessee Research tells us that more than half of all new businesses fail by the end of year four but only 37 per cent of technology businesses remain operable by…
Don't be that guy who gets mad after buying a car without first performing a test drive
Most times, raising capital is a tough haul. Endless pitching, gruelling due diligence and an enormous commitment of time and money are usually required. But, once in a while, a company rises and grabs the attention and the imagination of a swarm of venture capitalists (VCs) in a relatively short period of time. Maybe the…
Lost the passion? Not making enough money? It's decision time
Jen’s business was on the rocks but I was a bit surprised when she came into my office and told me she had just taken a job. Jen’s business was 18 months old, and she had been referred to us for business development to help her capture a new market. Our previous two meetings had…
The differences between angels and VCs are no longer quite so clearly visible as they once were
The start-up is going well and now it’s time to pursue capital. The friends and family networks are running thin. Who are you going to call? Angel groups exist across the country and there are VCs (venture capitalists) you might want to see. The rule of thumb is to call them all: both angels and…
Canada's investment growth rate has dropped below that of the United States and many other developed countries
Alarm bells ought to be ringing in Canada. Business, industrial and foreign direct investment have performed pitifully over the past decade, with no reason to believe there will be a turnaround any time soon. As noted by fellow Troy Media contributor Steven Globerman of Western Washington University, “from 2010 to 2019, Canada’s investment growth rate…