Tough journey of a startup through the idea and a new venture to a market leader is full of obstacles and one of the biggest is the search for the funding. This collaborative atlas is intended to help demystify the complexities of the investment sphere and introduce 32 of the most active investors who are eager to take innovative startups to the next level.
Download the "32+ List of investors" database.
The Landscape of Startup Funding
The startup ecosystem is fully developed and there is an understanding that each stage of the development of a company needs different types of financing. It would help founders to know the difference between angels and venture capitalists and many other things. This section provides a detailed breakdown of the stages regarding funding to assist entrepreneurs in determining the type of investor that is appropriate for them.
Insight into the Investor Mindset
Investor motivation: what drives them? This segment of the article focuses on what investors consider when considering an investment opportunity; the team behind the investment, the product being invested in, plus market opportunity as well as the ability to scale. It also briefly discusses how the relationship between vision and values among startups and investors must align.
Deep Dive into Key Investors
One gets an insight of their investment approach, specialization areas and how they have performed in the past by looking at a cross section of the list. It will help the startups to get acquainted with those investors and know what they seek from a potential investment.
- RTP: RTP has the reputation of supporting high-profile tech startup companies that challenge the status quo across various sectors.
- Angelsdeck: Angel investing focused only on initial rounds, Angelsdeck offers more than just the money — it offers guidance and connections.
- LETA Capital: To align with its investment focus, LETA Capital aims at investing in technology-centered startups that have the potential of going international.
Navigating the Pitch Process
Investing is an art and so is pitching to investors; this section will offer tips on preparing the pitch deck to presenting the value proposition and more on how one can pitch effectively to investors. There are also recommendations on how to deal with rejection and ways of using feedback from the investors during future pitching sessions.
Building and Leveraging Your Network
To me, networking is not equal to participating in events; it is the process of developing relationships that lead to opportunities for investment. This part offers tips on connecting to startups and using LinkedIn and other contacts to get an introduction to a venture capitalist.
Legal and Financial Considerations
A startup company cannot invest blindly; there are legal and financial repercussions, which need to be considered before accepting the investment. This segment should include a brief introduction to equity and dilution, as well as what investors and founders should look out for when practicing the art of the term sheet.
The Future of Startup Funding
Finally, continuing on this topic of the future of investment, this section presents several potential developments that exist in the investment industry such as impact investing, crowdfunding, and blockchain’s effects in the investment of startups.
Conclusion
It involved a lot of effort, time, and research to find investment, which is an important task at a startup. It is our intention that this guide provides the necessary information and strategies that will help entrepreneurs transform threats into opportunities for growth and success in this process.
Founders should utilize this guide to proactively interact with the below list of active investors, while adapting to the specifics of both the investor and the entrepreneur.
