In this episode, Hall welcomes Greg Thomas, Managing Director of 375 Park Associates. Headquartered in New York with affiliates in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., 375 Park Associates is a strategic growth advisory firm which helps private equity firms overcome challenges in their portfolio. Their partners and associates have closed transactions in the U.S. and abroad, ranging from US$10 million to US$150 million in value. Named as one of the Top 100 in Finance for 2020, Greg specializes in business development, structured finance, and LBOs with a focus on disruptive companies. He has nearly 20-years' experience in Asia, helping many U.S.-based firms to expand their presence in the region; results include reducing costs by more than 20% and increasing profits by millions of dollars.  Before joining 375 Park Associates, Greg was the Regional Director and Managing Partner of IMC International Asia-Pacific. At IMC, he worked on several LBO teams, led a joint venture with a New York-based hedge fund, and started a ship finance operation. Greg spent four years as the Managing Director & President of Foundation Consulting, a company that was acquired by IMC in 2013. He has held management positions with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., and has led business units of ultra-growth companies in Asia-Pacific with P&Ls in excess of US$30 million, and had previously served on the advisory council for CX@Rutgers, a judge for the 16th Annual M&A Advisor Awards, and as a director of financial advisory for Mazars.​ Besides acting as an advisor to several startups in the U.S. and Asia, Greg is an advisor to the digital ecosystem - Dreamr, a member of the advisory councils of the Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, the Gerson Lehrman Group, and Expert Coin. He is also a regular guest on Dukascopy TV.  Greg studied Organizational Communications, Learning, and Design at Ithaca College and has a BSc in Communications from Almeda University as well as an MBA Administration from Edinburgh Business School at Herriot Watt University. Greg shares with Hall the company's investment thesis pre and post-COVID-19 and how he sees the early-stage funding world evolving.  You can visit 375 Park Associates at , via LinkedIn at , and via Twitter at .    Greg can be contacted via email at .

Investor Connect Podcast

Investor Connect - 430 - Greg Thomas of 375 Park Associates

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. When I ask startups how much they are raising for investment, they often quote their total raise for the life of the startup. We then talk about breaking the raise into smaller rounds so the founder doesn’t have to spend too much time on the fundraise process. Here’s some guidance on how to breakdown your startup fundraise into tranches or what some call rounds. Family and Friends funding:  $10K to $100KThis helps set up your legal entity, intellectual property, and basic prototype. Pre-seed:  $250KThis raise is for the initial research and beta product development. Seed:  $500K to $750KThis raise is for building out the product and closing initial customers. Seed +:  $500K to $750KThis raise is for growing the sales and establishing repeatable sales and marketing processes. Series A: $1.5M to $3MThis raise is for growing your sales up past the $1M annual revenue. Series B: $5M to $15MThis raise is for growing your sales up past the $3M annual revenue. If you raise too much money too early in the life of your startup, you will find yourself giving away too much equity so it’s important to raise in stages. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Standard Raises by Stage

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ellen Weber, Executive Director at Robin Hood Ventures. Robin Hood Ventures is a group of angel investors, focused on early-stage, high-growth companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. They help entrepreneurs build great companies, providing capital, mentoring, expertise, and connections, to help companies reach their potential. Robin Hood generally invests $250k to $500k and collaborates with angels, institutions, and VCs in their network. Since 1999, they have invested in over 45 companies in industries including software, medical devices, biotech, internet, and financial technology. Ellen is passionate about innovation and about helping build great companies in Philadelphia. She serves as the Executive Director of Temple University’s Fox School of Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, and an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship. Ellen is very active in the Philadelphia startup community, supporting Philly Startup Leaders, Philly Tech Meetup, and the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs.  Previously, Ellen was the COO and co-founder of VisionMine (www.visionmine.com), which provides a specialized Open Innovation portal to large corporations. Ellen has more than 25 years of experience creating strong teams and building strong leaders for emerging companies as well as Fortune 500 clients. She has been a Managing Director and Founder of Antiphony Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting firm that specializes in helping companies create sustainable value through innovation. She was involved in the growth of Investor Force, a provider of technology-based solutions for institutional investment professionals, where she created the company’s initial human resources department, facilitated strategic planning, and managed the organizational aspects of the company’s mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, she spent twelve years at Shared Medical Systems where she was responsible for initiatives encompassing organizational development, customer support, and corporate communications.  She was also a senior consultant for Andersen Consulting. Ellen graduated from The Wharton School with a B.S. in economics. Ellen discusses with Hall the current state of angel investing, how she thinks the industry is evolving, what challenges the group is experiencing, and she goes into detail about their investment thesis. Ellen shares what excites her in the space and how COVID-19 has impacted the group.  You can visit Robin Hood Ventures at , on Twitter at , and on LinkedIn at .   Ellen can be contacted via email at . 

Investor Connect - 429 - Ellen Weber of Robin Hood Ventures

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In determining your raise amount, consider what you need for the next 18-24 months and focus on that window rather than the entire life of the company. Raise enough to accomplish the goals for that timeframe. Consider any revenue you currently have coming in and by how much it will grow. Estimate the amount of money you will burn through each month so you know how much runway funding will buy you. Set an ideal raise amount and a fallback plan in case the fundraise comes up short of the ideal. For every $1M of funding you need, it will take you one calendar year to raise it. Based on this information, you can determine how much you need to raise and when you should start the campaign. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Know Your Burn Rate

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brendan Nugent, CEO of Adrenaline. Adrenaline is the leading online supplier of awesome and unique gifts and they have sought out life-defining experiences for their clients for over 8 years. Adrenaline connects experience seekers and gift-givers with over 1,300 heart-pumping things to do across the United States.  The company enables real-time booking of experiences and gift options with a fully integrated CRM and support team.  Adrenaline U.S. was an expansion from the proven Adrenaline.com.au platform, Australia’s leading activity aggregator. Since 2012, the business has built a product portfolio of experiences from land adventures, flying experiences, water sports, and driving experiences.​ Brendan is based in Austin, Texas, and he is the figurative head of Adrenaline’s online travel agency and gift marketplace. Prior to Adrenaline, Brendan spent 6 years at iFLY Indoor Skydiving Support Center and joined the company at the cusp of major growth; the company grew from 8 retail locations to 80 locations during those 6 years. Initially building sales training, teams, and procedures, Brendan built large-scale distribution and ticketing programs in the tourism, retail, and gifting sectors. He enjoys travel, watching Formula One Racing, and real estate.   Brendan shares his thoughts on the rise of the travel-venture segment and explains what it takes for a company in this segment to be successful. He also describes some of the changes he expects to see in this segment in the coming 12 months. You can visit Adrenaline at , and on Twitter at .     Brendan can be contacted via email at .

Investor Connect - 428 - Brendan Nugent of Adrenaline

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I often hear investors say if the company just had revenue then the risk would be gone. But once the startup achieves revenue, the next stage of risk comes up - will they be able to grow that revenue? There’s a risk for the investor at each stage of startup funding.   At the seed stage, the question is, can you sell the product? At the Series-A stage, the question is, can you grow the product revenue? At the Series B-stage, the question is, can you scale the product revenue? At the Series-C/D stage, the question is, can you become a market leader? Each stage brings a new risk. For investing, the old risk is replaced with a new risk. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- The Risk at Each Stage

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In negotiating a terms sheet, there are several key elements to keep in mind. Valuation is the biggest hurdle as it sets equity ownership.  Key terms that often come into play include the following: Liquidation preferences - if the investors feel the pre-money valuation is too high, they may ask for a 1 or 2x liquidation preference.Investing founders share - investors want to know the team will remain in place for the first few years and will require them to re-earn their shares.Redemption rights - if the business goes sideways, some investors will look to prepare for an early exit.Consider convertible debt for an initial terms sheet and move to equity when you find the right lead investor.  There are many investors who want to be in the deal but aren’t going to do the work for leading the round.A key criterion for a lead investor is an interest in equity and a willingness to invest greater than $100K. This generates enough motivation to properly develop the terms sheet. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Negotiating a Terms Sheet

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups raising funding should keep track of their cap table which shows who has ownership in the business. If you have one, make sure to keep it up to date.   If you don’t have one, then here are the steps to set up your cap table. Identify all the founders and equity owners in the company. Include anyone who has stock options or warrants. Keep track of any special agreements you have with the founders, partners, or investors. For each person or entity on the cap table,  list the class of stock, price paid for it, and how much of that stock they own. Calculate the total amount of shares and the money paid for it.  To create a fully diluted cap table, include all options and warrants even if they are not yet vested. Also, track all convertible notes and SAFE notes that could convert into equity in the future. During the fundraise, investors will want to see your cap table so they know who owns what and who they are investing with. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- How to Set Up the Cap Table

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Depreciation represents the reduced value of assets. Each asset in your business has its own useful lifetime.   Based on that useful lifetime, one can expense a portion of the value each year over the life of that asset.   Depreciation goes on the profit and loss statement and also impacts the value of the asset listed on the balance sheet. Computers for example are often depreciated over a four-year timeframe. If you spent $16,000 on computers and they last four years, then a straight-line depreciation will expense $4,000 per year.  You’ll need to set up a separate worksheet for each asset to calculate and track the depreciation.   You then place the expense on the profit and loss statement and show the reduced value of the asset on the balance sheet. Based on the type of asset, you may be able to use other depreciation methods aside from straight-line depreciation.   You’ll need to check the IRS rules for each asset as they have stated requirements for how you depreciate each type. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Financial Projections: Depreciation

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Your financial projections will be important for your fundraise. Banks will want to see your projections when you apply for a loan.  And investors will want to see them as well when you raise equity funding.  There are two basic forms of capital:  debt and equity. Debt is in the form of a loan with specific terms, including interest rate and payback plans.  Debt has some advantages: You maintain ownership over your business. Interest is tax-deductible. Debt can keep management focused on the core business, in particular cash flow and profits. Equity has advantages: You don’t have to pay it back immediately, only when you sell the business or go public. Your financial projections will help you decide how much funding you should take from debt and equity. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Financial Projections: Fundraise

In today's show, you'll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the chronic pain market. This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. It's the time of COVID-19. The healthcare industry is overwhelmed with patients from the pandemic. Medical conditions such as chronic pain continue to grow due to the opioid crisis. We recently held an interview with experts and investors in the area of chronic pain. Our host is Ashley Matthysse. Our featured guests are: Brian Carrico, CEO with Innovative Health Solutions: Michio Painter, Pain Specialist, Investor with Joyance Partners: ; Steve Shapiro, Partner eHealthVentures: I hope you enjoy this episode. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:       Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Investor Perspectives: Impact of COVID-19 on the Chronic Pain Market, Episode 2

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Operating expenses are the day to day expenses a business incurs. They support the operational side of the business covering sales, marketing, product development, and administration. These expenses include legal, digital marketing, payroll for employees, accounting, rent, insurance, IT costs, office supplies, bookkeeping services, phones, computers, and more.  Recurring expenses, such as sales and marketing expenses, are often defined as a percent of revenue.  These include software subscriptions, advertisements, promotional material, and dues. Build an operating expense budget with a bottoms-up approach by costing out the individual components such as employee cost, administration, and IT, as each expense will be specific to your business.  Over time, these costs will grow at a lesser rate than sales, which will increase the profit of the business.  Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Financial Projections: Operating Expenses

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For later-stage startups with revenue, one can use the financial projections to estimate the company’s valuation for fundraising purposes.  Discounted cash flows, called the DCF method, values the company based on future cash flow projections.  This weights the value of the company on future revenues rather than today’s revenues. The DCF method is purely a financial valuation method and does not take into account other factors such as the team, intellectual property, or sales activities that have not yet been realized with cash flows. Your financial projections should have the key elements including projected cash flows, a chosen discount factor, and a net present valuation of the free cash flows to generate the DCF valuation. It’s just one more valuation tool. Predicting cash flows in the future can be difficult given the sales process is not fully in your control. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Startup Funding Espresso -- Financial Projections: Valuation

In this episode, Hall welcomes Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Director at VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. Located in South San Francisco, California, known as the “Birthplace of Biotech”, VistaGen Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new-generation medications for anxiety, depression, and other central nervous system, or “CNS,” diseases and disorders where current treatments are inadequate to address high, unmet needs. Their CNS portfolio includes three differentiated CNS drug candidates, PH94B, PH10, and AV-101, each with a novel mechanism of action, an exceptional safety profile, and therapeutic potential for multiple indications.  Shawn has over 25 years of experience working with private and public biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies, a venture capital firm, and a profitable contract research and development organization (CRO), serving in numerous senior management roles. Prior to joining VistaGen, he served as President of Artemis Neuroscience, and prior to VistaGen’s acquisition of that company, Managing Principal of Cato BioVentures, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm.   Earlier, Shawn assisted with the IPO of SciClone Pharmaceuticals, a revenue-generating, China-focused specialty pharmaceutical company, and served as its Chief Business Officer before departing to form Cato BioVentures with the founders of Cato Research. He began his career as a corporate finance attorney in the Silicon Valley offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP, with a transaction-focused practice involving both emerging biotechnology and high technology companies. Shawn earned a B.A. degree, with honors, from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of California. Shawn explains this domain in great detail and the work he and his team do, which is focusing on medications that address both neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. He describes the current standard of care in this industry and how it can be improved. Shawn also shares with Hall a benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic, in that it has helped lessen the stigma attached to mental health illnesses. You can visit VistaGen Therapeutics at , or via their LinkedIn page at , or on Twitter at .   Shawn can be contacted via LinkedIn at , and via email at or .

Investor Connect - 427 - Shawn Singh of VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc.

Hall T Martin interviews angel and venture capital investors on how they invest and talks with CEOs who discuss their sector and what to look for. Hall T Martin also leads the Startup Funding Espresso series in which you can learn about startup funding and investing in the time it takes to have an espresso. https://investorconnect.org/

hubhopper

Investor Connect Podcast

hubhopper