The Benefit of Investing in Tranches

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Tranching the investment means breaking it down into tranches or rounds.

Tranche comes from the French word meaning slice.

Investors find it advantageous to break their investment into rounds.

In the angel world, many investors break their allocation to a startup into two rounds.

The first round goes in at the beginning of the investor engagement.

If all goes well, then the investor puts in the second round.

If things don’t go well, then most likely they skip the second round of investment.

This reduces the investor's risk in the deal.

It can also optimize the investor's return.

The startup goes through ups and downs.

During the down cycles, investors with dry powder can find more favorable terms.

It’s a good idea to save some of the allocation for an opportunity that provides better terms for the investor.

As an investor, consider how to tranche your investment into the startup to balance risk and reward.

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.

_______________________________________________________

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On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Lance Tkach, Co-Founder of Printed Technologies. Located in Dallas, Texas, Printed Technologies is leading the charge to revolutionize the home construction industry through the integration of automation, AI, and large-scale 3D printing. With the U.S. facing a shortage of over 7 million affordable homes and traditional construction lagging behind in innovation, Printed Technologies is tackling this crisis by bringing precision manufacturing techniques to the job site—cutting costs, reducing build times, and improving sustainability.

Printed isn’t just building homes; they’re designing and manufacturing the machines that will enable builders across the country to adopt 3D-printed construction at scale. Their homes are fire-, mold-, termite-, and storm-resistant, and their vertical integration with All Metals Fabricating gives them a significant edge in cost control and production capacity. With a pipeline of $2.5 million in early sales activity and proprietary patents secured, Printed Technologies is not just solving a market problem—it’s transforming an industry. Their mission is simple yet powerful: to make home ownership more accessible while creating a scalable, high-growth business built for the future.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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Aviate, Navigate, Communicate

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In flying an aircraft, there’s a saying regarding priorities: “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.”

First, fly the plane.

Second, navigate to where you want to go.

Third, communicate with others.

This prioritizes the pilot’s activities.

This applies to founders.

In the startup world, the founder must Operate, Direct, Communicate.

The founder must first and foremost keep the startup running.

Then the founder must maintain the direction to go in.

Finally, the founder must communicate with others.

Fundraising is an important activity, but it rests on the foundation of the startup running well.

Before launching a fundraiser campaign, make sure the operations are in place and can run without the founder for the most part.

Also, make sure the business is on track for the direction in which to go.

This will free up the founder to run the fundraising campaign, which includes communication with others.

Operate, Direct, Communicate

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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Sell Your Business Instead of Shutting It Down

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Many startups fail to achieve product-market fit or breakout growth.

Founders who decide to move on most often shut down the business.

Instead of shutting it down, consider selling your startup.

If you have a functioning team, then look to competitors who may want an acquihire.

The team itself can be sold to another company as a working business unit with its own technology base already in place.

This provides ongoing employment for the team members.

Review the customer list to see which other businesses may be interested in taking over the customer base.

Look at other data elements to determine potential value.

It’s possible another company will buy out the startup for its data generation value.

Consider the industry the startup is in.

There may be companies that want to enter that industry and are looking for a way in.

Most of these options will not bring an outsized return to the founders and their investors.

However, it does give the founders a win.

In their next startup, they can say they launched a business and sold it for a gain.

This puts the startup into the win column.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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State the Purpose Behind the Startup

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In pitching, start with the Why of the business.

Why does this business exist?

It’s important to state up front the purpose.

This is different from the problem to be solved.

The purpose is similar to the problem but different.

It goes to the heart of why the business exists.

It shows the overall purpose of the business and what role it takes.

To find the purpose of the business, look at the problem to be solved and find the process that’s driving it.

For example, a company that makes an app that crowdsources funds for small businesses is solving the problem of growing businesses through funding.

The process behind the app is that fundraising takes time and can be difficult.

The purpose is to accelerate small business growth by speeding up the funding process.

The pitch should start with the purpose, then explain the specific problem to be solved.

Follow up with the solution the company offers.

The purpose connects the startup to a greater cause.

Businesses with a why are stronger and last longer than those that are just making money.

Start the pitch with its purpose.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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The Downside of SAFE Notes

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

SAFE Notes were designed to simplify the investment process.

By removing many of the terms found in equity agreements, SAFE Notes reduce the complexity of startup fundraising.

SAFE notes are similar to a warrant as they give the holder the right to buy shares in the future.

There are drawbacks to SAFE Notes as follows:

There’s no debt component that can be used for payback.

SAFE notes require the holder to have a C-Corporation.

The SAFE note is listed on the Cap table like an option.

There’s no maturity date on SAFE Notes, so there’s no trigger to convert equity.

There’s no interest rate.

Over time, this can add additional value to the investor.

Many SAFE notes don’t have a valuation cap, which can reduce the value to the holder.

The presence of additional SAFE notes can reduce the return through dilution.

For early-stage funding, SAFE notes are simple to use, but they don’t always convert to equity the way investors thought they would.

Be sure to understand the SAFE note structure before using it for an investment.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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How To Raise a First-Time VC Fund

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Raising a first-time venture capital fund is hard work.

Here are some key steps in raising a VC fund for the first time.

Build a track record of successful investing by joining an angel network and making small but profitable investments.

Share the deal flow with prospective Limited Partners so they learn your investment thesis.

Show the deal flow on a regular basis so they understand the consistency of your network.

Share your due diligence with those investors so they see the quality of work you do.

Perform market research on an area of interest and share the results with the prospective Limited Partners.

Build an investment thesis for how to invest in the area of interest.

Showcase the investment thesis in your investing so the Limited Partners understand your methodology.

Present a few successful investments to the Limited Partners.

By showing them your market research, investment thesis, and track record, the Limited Partners can better understand the value of your work.

Ask for an initial investment from the Limited Partners to continue the process already underway.

Consider these steps for raising a first-time VC fund.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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In this episode of Investor Connect, we engage with Nathan Monty, co-founder and CEO of Enamel Pure, a company pioneering advancements in dental hygiene through novel laser technology.

Nathan walks us through the development of their innovative product, 'Loon,' which uses a laser for non-contact teeth cleaning, hardening, and whitening, paired with advanced imaging to produce an annual oral health report. He emphasizes the inefficiencies and pain points in traditional dental cleaning methods and explains how Enamel Pure's technology not only improves the patient experience but also significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy with AI-driven analysis from a rich dataset of dental images.

The episode covers the company's business model, partnerships with major distributors like Henry Schein and Benko, and their robust intellectual property portfolio. Nathan also discusses their go-to-market strategy and plans for future AI integrations, aiming to create the most comprehensive dental health database. Finally, he shares insights into their successful FDA clearance and ongoing fundraising efforts to expand production and distribution, providing a comprehensive look at Enamel Pure's promising future in modernizing dental care.

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: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.