As a startup mentor, the #1 question I'm asked is how to find investors to build the product? It's the startup chicken and egg problem--you need money to build the product. Investors say come back after you have customer traction. What can you do? bit.ly/4cAFoHe

Every startup founder needs mentors, but which ones are worth their weight in gold, and which are useless or worse? Today's guide to the 3 types of mentors you need, and the 3 types to run away screaming from. bit.ly/3S3mHnY

What do you need to include in the investor dataroom? Simple answer: everything Longer answer: everything investors need to evaluate the company Full answer: here's my checklist of all the documents to include bit.ly/4d89imH

Think you've found the elusive product-market fit? You probably haven't. Unless sales are exploding, you may have a good guess at what customers need, but it's still just an experiment. Better to treat it that way. bit.ly/3zULILO

Venture investors (including angels and VCs) won't invest in common shares. If you're pitching to investors, you need to be offering preferred shares (or SAFE or convertible note that converts to preferred shares.) Here's why. medium.com/entrepreneur-s…

Here's the link to read the article without a Medium account. bit.ly/3AhoS0Q

Know how long it will take to raise a funding round and plan accordingly. Helpful advice from long-term Chemical Angels member dc palter.

A critical but obscure component of startup funding is the SPV. Most founders don't know what they are. Most investors don't understand the tax implications. Here's an overview of the SPV and the pros and cons compared to investing directly in a startup. bit.ly/46SfRrk

Startup founders: don't let your self-worth be defined by how much funding you've raised. Venture capital isn't a scoring system for success--it’s just a funding mechanism. Products, customers, and value matter far more than investors' valuations. bit.ly/3MGnV5r

At the 2024 NOBCChE Official Conference, GCI's Sederra Ross will be organizing a panel on #GreenChemistry Careers! Panelists include Drs. Juan Colberg, Malika Jefferies-El, Willie May & Laurel Royer. Join us Wed, Oct 2 at 8am, room St. John's 30-31. Register: brnw.ch/21wNjEZ

At a demo day you meet 50 VCs. Half are excited about your startup. 15 ask for a pitch deck. 5 ask for the term sheet. You're excited. You think you've filled your round in a day. And then...crickets. Welcome to Newton's 1st law of VCs. bit.ly/3Y1H5sO

The 5 critical mistakes most startup founders make: 1. Not listening to customers 2. Overestimating market size 3. Rosy cost projections 4. Raising money too early 5. Not considering the long-term plan from the beginning bit.ly/3zGuMch

My angel groups invest in 2% of the companies that pitch us. Here are the 5 things that separate the successful 2% from the 98% we pass on. Surprisingly, it's not the pitch. My article today in Entrepreneurship Handbook. bit.ly/4fcEUJh

Founders: are your VC investors pushing you to raise another round of funding at a high valuation? It might be to help their own investment metrics rather than for the benefit of your startup. Here's what you need to know. bit.ly/4fIJ77j

Startup founders need money to build the product. Investors don’t want to invest until the product is proven. It’s a classic chicken-and-egg problem. So how can you crack that egg? Today's article on Pitching Angels. pitchingangels.com/2024/11/16/sta…

Proud to announce that Chemical Angels member fund and 9 individual members have invested in the seed round of HinaLea Imaging, combining hyperspectral imaging with AI. Congrats on closing the round!

Want to find an agent or consultant to help with venture fundraising? Unfortunately, the SEC says you can't. bit.ly/3AZlSqK

The Li-ion battery startup, Northvolt, recently declared bankruptcy. It was the biggest ClimateTech unicorn. It burned through $15 billion in investment without ever shipping a product. What went wrong and what does it mean for startups? bit.ly/3ZrADuL

Join American Chemical Society on 1/23 for a free virtual event showcasing innovations from the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards! Learn about bio-lubricants, green hydrogen, & sustainable fertilizers: brnw.ch/21wQ9Kv

How much should startups pay their advisors? The consensus is 0.25% - 1.0% of equity, but the exact amount depends on a number of factors. See the recommendations in today's article on Entrepreneurship Handbook. bit.ly/4jjJl7o