A practical help with how to identify and secure an investment from a chosen VC. Step-by-step instruction an how to design and execute a winning formula for fundraising. Advice from the other side of the table: what to do to make it easier to invest in you!

1. Copy right 2016 © Mobility Ventures LLC All Rights Reserved
Insider guide
to successful
fundraising
strategies
3 x F
Bootstrapping
Business
Angels
Accelerators
State support
VC

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Wlodek Laskowski
Background
 LSE
 Investment & corporate banking
Entrepreneur
 Co-founded BOT.Inc
 From bootstrap to exit
Investor
 Set-up and run a VC fund
 Matching startups with right investors
 Commitment: series A and beyond

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Bootstrapping
Your own time, money and hard work
 True commitment
 Diversification & specialization
 Survival & character test
Proof of Concept
 Important to get it right
 Try and try and try again
Investors expectations
 No risk, no gain
 Sharing pain

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3 x F (Family, Friends & Fools…..)
Natural first port of call
 Make it relevant
 Don’t just take money
 Active involvement
 First users
High risk warning
 Absolute must
 Invest only what you can loose
Beware of broken trust
 Total transparency

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Business Angels
Choose CAREFULLY!
 Investor Due Diligence
 Origin of funds
 Impact on future investments
A reliable local co-investor
 Sharing the risk
 Local monitoring
Smart Money
 Connections, advice, hands-on help
 Not only cash!

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Accelerators
Be EXTREMELY picky!
 Find REAL value
 Don’t give away equity
 Negotiate
 Shop around
Free lunch 
 MassChallenge
Look at state-sponsored programs
 Important visa considerations

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State Support
UK
 UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme
 The Sirius Programme
 Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa
Ireland
 ​The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme
 Enterprise Ireland
Holland
 New 'start-up visa' // BrainPort
Finland
 Tekes USA: ????

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Venture Capital – Research Stage
Research in Depth!
 DON’T ever mass target!
 Never use a template approach
 Research the Firm
 Why should they invest in you?
 Deal mindset (for PROFIT)
 Portfolio companies synergies
 Research the Best Partner for your Deal
 VCs interests, hobbies
 Similar deals
 Your attractiveness to them

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Venture Capital – Approach Stage
Avoid COLD CALLING
 Get recommendation if you can
 LinkedIn: best business networking tool
 Chat-up VCs
Executive Summary (CV)
 Preferably 1 page (max. 2)
Pitch Deck (cover letter)
 DON’T invent, just copy success
 Keep it SHORT & Proof-Read!
Technology start-ups: WHITE PAPER!

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Venture Capital – One Shot
ONE SHOT – prepare CAREFULLY!
 Don’t waste an opportunity
 No second chances
 Practice your pitch
 Get feedback from friendly VCs
SELL yourself!
 People are the most important factor!
 Choosing partners for good and bad times
Show true PASSION and commitment
 Don’t be shy!

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Venture Capital – Best Strategy
Be Aggressive - but not Arrogant!
 A fine line between arrogance and being
too aggressive.
 The defining factors are knowledge and
passion rather than bravado and swagger.
 Show an true dedication to your start-up
to make a formidable impression.
Be passionate and well-informed
 You are the absolute expert when it comes
to your business.

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Venture Capital – Don’t Do!
Don’t Try to Outsmart the VC!
 The job of a VC is to find what’s wrong
with your business
Don’t bend the truth
 If you do have some questionable metrics
or problems with your business model,
 Be transparent about it!
VCs appreciate candor and honesty
 They want to see that founders are
coachable and transparent
 They will work together!

13. Page 13 | Copyright 2016 © Mobility Ventures, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | Confidential & Proprietary
UK & Ireland
UK - accelerators
 Dreamstake
 Level 42
 Techstars
 Seedcamp
 Oxygen
 Wayra/Collider
 Startupbootcamp
UK - VCs
 ​AccelDN Capital/Balderton/Index/DFJ Esprit

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Central & Eastern Europe
Poland
 Innovation Nest / hub:raum
Austria
 Impact Hub / SpeedInvest
Bulgaria
 Cross Border Angels/ LaunchHub
Hungary
 iCatapult / Traction Tribe / Connect East
Estonia
 Startup Wise Guys / E-residency
 BuildIT / Tehnopol

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Germany, France, Spain & Holland
Germany
 ​Point Nine Capital / e.ventures / Earlybird
 Axel Springer / ProSiebenSat.1 Accelerator
France
 Kima Ventures
 Partech
Spain
 4YFN
Holland
 Rockstart

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Scandinavia
Finland
 Startup Sauna
 Vendep
 Go International
 Nexit Ventures
 Inventure
Sweden
 True Global Ventures
 Northzone
 Creandum

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USA
Silicon Valley
 500 Startups
 Plug & Play
 BlackBox
 Y Combinator
New York
 Nest New York
 LemonSqueeze
 Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

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Asia
Singapore
 SPH plugandplay
 Rockstart
China
 muru-D
 Chinaccelerator / Hox
Hong Kong
 Cyberport / Brinc
South Korea
 born2global

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Good luck!
Thank you for your attention!
 Get in touch if you want help &
guidance
 Connect with me on LinkedIn
wlodek.laskowski@gmail.com