Michelle E. Messina, CEOExplora Internationalmmessina@explorainternational.comTel: +1 408.981.4801@memessina

Silicon Valley Ecosystem

& the Fundraising Process

Uniquely Organized to Support Startups

Change is Constant

Startups Need Lots of Help

Help can be More Important than Money

Nestgsv diagram

Entrepreneur = Super Hero + Risk Taker

The Standard is Really, Really High

40% of US Venture Capital in California or ~$20B USD

Socialize Your Ideas to Improve it

Be Transparent. Within Reason.

Listen to Everyone. Follow No One.

Ideas Are Cheap. Execution is Priceless.

Diverse Teams = Better Companies

Female Economic Power

Comfort with Extreme Uncertainty

Organize for Speed and Intensity

Be Global. From Day 1.

Watch for Repeating Patterns

Can the Company Scale?

Go Big or Go Home

Fail Early. To Succeed Sooner

It Takes a Long Time to Build Value

Driving Experience Required

Serendipity & Luck Have a Role, too!

Gravity is in Full Effect

Fear is both Natural and a Catalyst

Paralysis in not Natural

Pay it Forward

US “Presence” Required If Seeking US Funds

VC’s WILL Have Say

Funding in 18-24 Month Chunks

VC’s Pan for Gold

What Investors Look For

Compelling Story

Low or Manageable Risk

It’s Not the Technology; It’s About the

Market Validation

Great Extended Team

Your Credibility

Timing

Momentum

Patterns

Milestones

Build Value

Fundraising is Fulltime Job

Fundraising Tools

The 10 Slides

Contact Information

Problem

Who is My Customer?

Distribution And Support

Business Model

Who are the Competitors and How are You Different?

Execution over the Idea

What are the Milestones?

1. Cover slide Company info—name, contact, email

2. Problem Customer’s problem—in economic terms

3. Solution Your solution: how & why it works, the value to customer

4. Market Who the market is & how large it is

5. Distribution How do you sell? Direct, channels, service, support

6. Business Model How do you make money?

7. Competition Who else solves problem & how they compare against you

8. Team Key players, relevant background, why you are the right team

9. Milestones What financeable results $ will you achieve

10. Financials How big, how fast, cash needed, key assumptions

The 10 Slide Presentation

Raising Capital

Top Ten List

Not About Product or Technology

Easier to Raise $ When its Not Need

Tell a Compelling Story

Know Your Audience

Mark Twain Said, “If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter.”

Milestones

Not About Numbers. It’s about Assumptions

Find Points of Leverage

It is a Very, Very Small World

3 Most Important Rules

Of Fundraising

Don’t Run out of Money

Do Something That Matters

Now….Enjoy the Journey

Michelle E. Messina, CEO

mmessina@explorainternational.comTel: +1 408.981.4801

Skype: michellemessinaTwitter @memessina