Jonathan Hakakian’s Post

Great piece by Leah Hodgson at PitchBook on the very real confusion over financing round labels. While you’d think these are “just labels” and the names don’t actually matter — and legally they don’t! — terms like series seed, series a, Series c, whatever, have lots of real world business connotations, and a perfectly great (smaller) company can get tarred with negative associations because the applicable value ranges are getting all muddied. Looking forward to reading more about proposed alternatives - which are definitely needed! #startups #startupfinance #vc #venturecapital #seriesseed #seriesa

Let's finally get rid off the "VC alphabet song" and redo the system to become more founder friendly. "The benchmarks set by funding stages are often arbitrary and not necessarily aligned with the actual development needs of individual startups." #vc #venturecapital #founder #fundraising #startups #fundingstages #funding #fundingrounds #pitchbook

Clearly, the year ahead looks very bright for https://bit.ly/Quicklly- It is indeed a testimony to all those who placed their faith in the Chicago startup. Things only look one way for https://bit.ly/Quicklly- from here, and that is up! #chicago #indianfood #groceries #desi #khana #startup #startupsuccess Quicklly

Many investors have different criteria for different types of startups. One for digital, one for deep tech, one for those whose first step is regulatory approval, etc. These businesses have different challenges. But if you have separate criteria, how can you have any idea if you are choosing well between startups in the different types? To do so, you need a consistent framework that applies across all types. Only then, can you make the highest quality decisions across categories. #founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic More at unbundled dot vc.

I disagree. Look, sure it’s a little confusing at times, and the category boundaries aren’t always clear, particularly in the pre-Series B stages. You can have one company raising $50,000, another raising $5M, and yet another raising $500M, and all call it #Seed. That said, I think it’s easy to get stuck on the #AI outliers and their outsized checks, and miss that for the vast majority of #startups, the current demarcations actually work pretty well. What won’t work is this proposal. Woof: “At the very early stages, Boldstart Ventures’ Ed Sim has suggested the introduction of “inception rounds” to redefine what a first fundraise really means. Inception rounds would focus on startups at the beginning of their lifecycle, working on developing a product and making their first hires. They would start with a “discovery round” for first-time founders who are still at the idea stage and would be sub-$2 million, progressing to the “classic round” when a founder has validated their product concept (at between $3 million and $5 million). For the serial founder, “jumbo rounds” would offer more capital and scope to expand at a faster pace. Redefining pre-seed and seed in this way would offer more transparency about where a startup actually is in its journey.” Hard No 😎 #DWProf

Tech accelerators can be a huge help to businesses looking to grow, but many of them don't provide cash and don't take equity. Even among those who do, it's a tough business to be in - helping startups. It's good to see that some of them are revamping themselves to continue their operations. #startups #accelerator #business

COREangelsMEA: Pioneering Early-Stage Investing for Maximum Returns!   Discover why COREangelsMEA's focus is on early-stage startups and how this strategic choice unlocks high profits for angel investors: Why Early-Stage Startups? ● We support early-stage startups because they have so much to offer. They are the ones who discover and nurture hidden talents, who spark innovation with new ideas, and who make the world a better place with their solutions. ● We also know that investing in early-stage startups can be very profitable for angel investors. By getting in early, they can secure good deals and enjoy big rewards later on. They can also help the startups grow and succeed with their smart money, which includes not only funding, but also advice and experience. And they can benefit from the global network of opportunities that we provide, connecting them to other investors, mentors, partners, and customers. to know more about how to invest in early-stage startups. visit: https://lnkd.in/eahp7PSv  #COREangelsMEA #AngelInvestors #Startups #CoreAngels

It's no surprise that startups face a number of challenges in building toward sustainable growth -- from innovating a product or service to hiring the right team, to going to market, each step of the startup journey presents its own unique obstacles. Venture capital fundraising is one of the primary methods startups use to finance growth. Checkout all of our tips and tricks in our latest blog: https://bit.ly/44w2Faw #Startups #VCFunding #BlogPost #BostonStartUps

I often find myself in the middle of the debate between investing in listed companies versus startups. Deciding what’s best for you depends on what you aim to achieve with your investment strategy. Listed companies offer stability and liquidity, while startups provide high growth potential and innovation. Each path comes with its own set of opportunities and risks. Here's an overview to guide your decision, considering factors like risk tolerance, investment horizon, and involvement level. For a simple breakdown, follow the infographic below that explains the critical points of listed entities versus startups. #startups #angelinvestors #startupintel

Happy Black Monday. Will #VCs continue to fund pitch decks that echo their "thesis du jour", or start investing in old school founders who are building startups around DURABLE enterprise fundamentals? Smarter outliers deliver higher IRRs. Period. #seedcapital #venturecapital #startups #ai #smartfounders #blackmonday