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Navigating the Changing Landscape of Startup Fundraising

Mar 25, 2023

Much has been said about some recent lows on startup fundraising, even others resorting to self-funding. Nonetheless, it still varies on the type of startup and the region as some gain even more strength compared to previous years.

So how do you ride the choppy wave of startup fundraising? Start by keeping up to date with the latest news in your industry and the overall startup environment, and strengthening your stance and making sure your pitch arsenal is up to par, if not better.

Read more about how the changing landscape of startup funding looks like right now along with my exclusive insights on building your pitch deck and mastering the fundraising term sheet among others.

Here’s a roundup on my top LinkedIn posts on the topic with key takeaways or a quick TL;DR if you’re short on time:

Optimism and opportunity for startupinvestment with lots of dry powder despite the changing economic climate?

TL;DR:

The future isn't as dark as it seems… Lots of dry powder in the sphere at the moment meaning lots of investment opportunity for startup ready or raising funding!

While some industries are certainly more impacted by an economic downturn (and therefore winning over investors) - recruitment, retail, travel/tourism, leisure/hospitality, manufacturing/warehouse etc - at the AWS Founders/Investor Panel and BBQ the week before last (this was in Oct 2022),, there seems to be optimism and opportunity for startup investment in the Benelux to develop solutions around the many problems we’re facing at the moment. 👉 Read My LinkedIn Post

The 9 Deadly Sins in my talk on Building a Winning Pitch Deck at the Web Summit

TL;DR:  Here are the 9 deadly sins:

  1. Burying the lead 
  2. Lacking a coherent thesis
  3. Not recognising and addressing most common concerns regarding your business
  4. Having no competition
  5. Magical thinking about market size
  6. Charts and stats that are way too complex
  7. Design & grammar matter!!
  8. Pretending you know everything
  9. Not knowing all you should know 

👉 Read My LinkedIn Post


Fundraising Term Sheet 101 & How to Master It

As a startup founder, you’ve probably spent many sleepless months trying to get your startup off the ground. Maybe you've already completed your market research, written your deck, practiced your pitch, and completed your fundraising round. Now, you're finally getting capital.

A term sheet is what investors and founders use to outline the financing terms they have discussed and negotiated. And, as you can imagine, it’s incredibly important. So, skip the stress and use the below tips to get the most out of your term sheet.

**Get ahead of the process. 
**Always consult the experts. 
**Look at the term sheet holistically.
**Have the difficult conversations now.  
**Trust that negotiating is part of the process. 

Generally speaking, once you agree on details and the deal is signed, memories of negotiations fade. Investors will respect you for advocating for your business—and you'll be happy you left it all on the field. And together, you'll enter your partnership with the same excitement as when you first received the term sheet.

For more insights on how to master the term sheet, watch the full panel recording of more experts here 👉 on Youtube

👉 Read My LinkedIn Post
 

The Top 5 ways to get Angel Investors get Excited about Your Startup

In life we want to be on the side of angels and when building a startup we want angels to be on our side. This panel discusses how to approach angel investors and get them excited about your business.

When launching a startup, angel investors can offer invaluable early stage support. They go beyond capital investment, giving founders council, intros, and strategic advice to help them solve critical business problems like staffing, recruiting, and managing press.

But with the angel landscape evolving so rapidly, it can be hard to know where to start. So, our team sat down with a panel of experts from @Bling Capital, Golden, and Magi Ventures to learn more about how they approach investing.

**Do your research. 
**Lean on your network, but don't be limited to it.
**Practice and refine your pitch—again and again and again. 
**Be honest with investors—and yourself. 
**Accept help and ask for more than capital.


Whether you're just reaching out to angels or on the verge of accepting their capital, remember that angels can play many roles—and you'll be happy to have them on your side.


Want more of these? Join me on LinkedIn and press on that bell icon 🔔 to stay on the pulse of these topics.

Warmly, Anna C Mallon 🌼


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