Investor Panel Helps Founders Sharpen Their Funding Edge
One of the key insights offered by the panelists of Venture Capitalists at the recent founder-focused event organized by the Alliance, hosted at Clocktower Ventures, and sponsored by Countsy was that for founders looking to raise venture capital, finding an edge is necessary in today’s fundraising market. The investment market has dramatically shifted because of current economic conditions but investment capital funding is still very possible — it just means you need to find an edge to cut through the competition and land your next investor.
The invite-only event gathered a group of nearly forty people representing the major players in the startup ecosystem of which half were startup founders who attended the event to mingle with and listen to panelists Ned Daoro of Clocktower Ventures, Abhi Mukherjee of CerraCap Ventures, Abby Esrock of CAA and Connect Ventures, and David Bailey of KPPB law firm. The group was rounded out by partnering service providers and members of the Alliance.
Mark diTargiani, SVP of Pacific Western Bank, moderated the panel discussion and lead off with questions to help founders sharpen their edge in today’s fundraising market. The resonating advice offered by the panelists included the reality check that money is flowing but it’s harder to get. Checks are still being written, though the threshold is now higher than the deal flow of 2021. The key to reaching the higher threshold, indicated by the panelists, includes clarity on the capital raised and the purpose for it. In other words, founders should be hyper-focused on the fundamentals of the business while clearly naming the milestones they hope to achieve with the funding.
The hour-long conversation, which also included questions from founders in attendance, provided numerous key insights in how to fundraise in today’s market. The gathering provided the opportunity for founders to sharpen their edge to beat the competition and secure their next fundraise. The Alliance will organize an additional invite-only founder’s event with a different group of Venture Capitalists in the Alliance network on October 11th, 2022 in Pasadena.