Club E | What are VCs looking for in an investment?

Club E | What are VCs looking for in an investment?
October 3rd, 2024

In this insightful session, venture capitalist Scott Burns (General Partner at Mairs and Power) joins Rick Brimacomb to dive deep into venture capital investing. They discuss what VCs look for in companies, evaluating startups, and key elements of a great pitch.

Topics covered include:

The balance between betting on the founder (jockey) vs. the company (horse).
Understanding the critical factors in startup valuation and fundraising.
How to build and lead a high-performing team as a founder.
The importance of grit and resilience in entrepreneurship.
How vertical SaaS companies like AO Go have successfully scaled with the help of venture capital.

Scott shares his personal journey from entrepreneurship to VC, and they break down what VCs need to see before making an investment, how to stand out in your pitch, and why founders need to focus on transparent communication and scalability.

Whether you're looking for VC funding or just want to understand what drives venture capital decisions, this discussion is packed with real-world examples and practical tips.

Don't miss the Q&A at the end for even more valuable insights into the world of venture capital.

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Speaker Background
08:58 Mairs & Power
13:30 Akoya Go
17:34 Jockey or Horse?
19:34 Key Elements of a Good Pitch
22:43 Addressing Valuation
25:55 What Makes a Good Team
29:08 Founder Self-Awareness
32:57 Product vs Marketing Focus
34:30 Priceless Advantage
38:57 Q&A
48:35 Lightening Round

#VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #VCFunding #PitchingInvestors #BusinessGrowth #ScalingBusiness #SaaS #TechStartups #BusinessLeadership #teambuilding

‪@Brimacomb‬
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Brimacomb inspires and helps you grow by building a network, expanding capabilities and assembling resources.

Club E | Partnerships | Capital

Website: https://www.brimacomb.com/clube

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