What should you do if an investor doesn't show up to a scheduled meeting?

Welcome to the 18th edition of The Get Funded! Newsletter—proudly serving over 2,589 founders! Here, we break down the latest insights from our weekly VC Office Hours sessions on Twitter/X and equip you with tools to help you ‘Get Funded’.

Missed this session? Listen to the recording here.
Want to join the next session? Check out the upcoming VCs and register here.

1. Overview:

This week, we hosted two insightful sessions with our fantastic guest investors:

• Session #1: Justin Murray, Ventures Lead at Plug & Play - New Jersey

  Plug and Play is one of the world’s leading accelerators and funds with over 50+ locations globally. Their New Jersey location has a focus on FinTech and Insurance companies; writing $50K - $150K initial checks and up to $2M in follow on.

• Session #2: Sakib Jamal, Principal at Crossbeam Venture Partners

  ​Crossbeam Venture Partners invests in early-stage startups that operate in new Internet / Platform Economies, Financial Services, or Novel Asset Classes; writing checks $500K - $3M at the Pre-Seed through Series A.

2. Office Hours Recap:

Key Takeaways from the VC Office Hours on January 24th:

• Session #1 - Justin Murray, Ventures Lead at Plug & Play - New Jersey
  Stage: Pre-Seed through Series A
  Industry: FinTech, InsurTech, and Enterprise AI (with additional verticals supported through Plug & Play's global network)
  Check Size: $50K - $150K (initial checks), up to $2M (follow-on investments)
  How to Apply: Apply through the Plug & Play website or contact Justin directly.
  Key Takeaways from Session:

  1. Leverage Corporate Partnerships: Plug & Play’s corporate connections provide startups with direct access to potential customers, enabling founders to validate and scale their solutions.

  2. Stay Focused on Strong Verticals: By focusing on FinTech, InsurTech, and AI, Justin emphasized the importance of aligning startups’ solutions with industries where Plug & Play already has expertise and partners.

  3. Keep Pitches Concise: When pitching, founders should prioritize clarity and highlight areas where their business excels, encouraging investors to ask deeper questions.

• Session #2 - Sakib Jamal, Principal at Crossbeam Venture Partners

  Stage: Pre-Seed through Series A
  Industry: Agnostic with a current focus on New Internet/Platform Economies, Financial Services, and Novel Asset Classes
  Check Size: $500K - $3M
  How to Apply: Submit through Crossbeam’s website or contact Sakib directly.

  Key Takeaways from Session:

  1. The Importance of “Why Now?” - Sakib emphasized the significance of articulating why a product or service is uniquely positioned for the current moment. Understanding the market context and timing is critical in a successful pitch.

  2. The Power of Relational Connections - Building relationships with investors early, even before starting a company, can help founders gain credibility and trust. Sakib highlighted the importance of showing grit and overcoming challenges to establish a strong personal narrative.

  3. Tailored Diligence for Decision-Making - Crossbeam customizes its diligence process, incorporating expert references, customer calls, and market analysis. This ensures investment decisions are well-informed but can also adapt when quick decisions are needed.

3. Funding Resources:

Resources of the Week:

• CO.LAB Sustainable Mobility Accelerator powered by gener8tor

  An accelerator powered by gener8tor that supports up to twelve high-growth startups per year (2 cohorts of 6) with $20K investments working at the forefront of sustainable mobility.
  Deadline: 1/27/2025

• Peerless

  A program and pitch competition for $1M for exceptional early-stage founders.

  Deadline: 1/30/2025

• SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

  The 2025 competition offers $75,000 to $150,000 in prize awards during two stages to organizations to accelerate the growth and maturity of innovation ecosystems.

  Deadline: 1/31/2025

• Midwest House '25 SXSW Midwest Madness

  An opportunity to pitch during SXSW for a $10K prize and travel stipend.

  Deadline: 1/31/2025

• Caltech's Rocket Fund
  $25,000 - $100,000 in non-equity grants for cleantech and sustainability startups
  Deadline: 1/31/2025

• Village Capital: Women in Tech Accelerator

  An initiative to support women founders developing solutions to improve economic mobility and equitable access to essential services for women, families, and communities across the US with an opportunity for a $25K grant.

  Deadline: 1/31/2025

• South Park Commons (SPC) Founder Fellowship

  The Founder Fellowship helps entrepreneurs start a high growth, venture-backable startup with targeted support in the -1 to 0 idea phase; offering $400K in capital.

  Deadline: 2/2/2025

• Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI

  A 6 month Generative AI Accelerator; receiving anywhere from $500K up to $2M+ in funding.

  Deadline: 2/10/2025

• Y Combinator Spring 2025 Batch

  A leading startup accelerator for entrepreneurs; providing $500K in funding.

  Deadline: 2/11/2025

• Halycon Climate Fellowship 2025

  An 8-week in-person program at Halcyon in Washington, DC; receiving a $10K equity-free stipend.

  Deadline: 2/16/2025

• Halycon Future Builders Fellowship 2025

  A 2-week in-person program, one week in Washington, DC and one week in Atlanta; receiving a $5K equity-free stipend.

  Deadline: 2/16/2025

• Latitud Fellowship

  An 8-week program designed to be a launchpad for turning ideas into reality - fast; providing a $25K investment.

  Deadline: 2/17/2025

• Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator

  The Bronze Valley Accelerator $100K invests in five high-growth startups per cohort led by female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color.
  Deadline: 2/23/2025

• CTIA Wireless Foundation Catalyst 2025

  A competitive grants program for ambitious social entrepreneurs who have developed mobile-first solutions that enhance our lives and address pressing challenges in American communities; receive up to $100K in grant funding.

  Deadline: 3/4/2025

• VOA Futures Fund Community Health Incubator

  A 14-week accelerator with partnership opportunities for ventures in community health that provides a $15K grant and business training to help you scale.
  Deadline: 3/5/2025

• OHUB’s Climate Tech Bootcamp

  A 10-week pre-accelerator program for climate tech and new energy entrepreneurs from around the country that have an interest in building in or expanding to South Louisiana; opportunity to receive a $100K investment.

  Deadline: 3/28/2025

Book of the Week:

• The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann
  One of my personal favorites, The Go-Giver is a compelling parable that challenges the traditional notion of success, reframing it as a result of giving rather than taking. The book follows the story of Joe, a go-getter who learns life-changing lessons from a mentor about the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success—laws that emphasize generosity, authenticity, and adding value to others’ lives.

• Why I recommend it: This book is a must-read for founders and entrepreneurs who want to build meaningful relationships while growing their businesses. It highlights the transformative power of focusing on value creation and serving others, a principle that resonates deeply in both personal and professional life. You can get your copy here.

Alternative Funding Sources:

• Access up to $2M in non-dilutive debt financing. Request funding here.

• Raise up to $5M in equity capital through a Community Round. Request information here.

Serac Ventures has made 8 investments in 2024 and is beginning to look for investment opportunities for our 2025 pipeline. We are looking to invest $250K - $500K initial checks into 8-10 companies building in FinTech, SaaS, and the Future of Work in 2025. Learn more and consider submitting your company here.

4. Founder Spotlight:

Featured Founder: Jim Nevotti, Founder of Connect Trade

• Overview:
  Jim Nevotti is the Founder and CEO of Connect Trade, a company dedicated to streamlining operations and enhancing connectivity within the financial services and trading ecosystem. Drawing from his extensive experience in fintech and leadership roles, Jim is focused on driving innovation in an industry that demands precision and efficiency.

• Their Success Story:
  Before founding Connect Trade, Jim gained decades of experience in executive roles, where he successfully led organizations through transformative growth and technological advancements. His background in developing strategic partnerships and delivering client-focused solutions became the foundation for Connect Trade. This wealth of experience has enabled him to anticipate the challenges and opportunities in the trading sector, guiding the company toward creating tools that simplify and enhance business processes for their clients.

• Future Plans:
  Jim and his team at Connect Trade aim to build on their strong foundation by expanding their solutions to address emerging industry challenges. Their focus remains on scaling operations, strengthening partnerships, and delivering innovative tools that align with their clients’ needs in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

What we can take away:
Jim’s career demonstrates the importance of leveraging past experience to drive meaningful change in an industry. Founders can learn from his strategic approach to leadership, focus on building impactful partnerships, and commitment to addressing core challenges with innovative solutions prior to launching a new company.

5. Tweet of the Week:

That’s all for this week’s edition of The Get Funded! Newsletter. We hope you found these insights valuable as you continue your journey to securing funding.

What’s next?

I (Darrel Frater) am currently on vacation with my family and will not be hosting our weekly office hours next Friday, January 31st.

We will resume the following week on February 7th with two more amazing guests joining us for Office Hours.

For session #1 we have David Kaye, Founder and General Partner at F4 Fund.

​F4 Fund invests in startups that make valuable use of human attention; writing $100K - $500K checks at the Pre-Seed & Seed stage.

​For session #2 we have Maksym Strukov, Associate at Geek Ventures.

​Geek Ventures invests in bold, innovative, and brilliant immigrant entrepreneurs from all over the world; writing $200K - $300K checks at the Pre-Seed & Seed stage.

If interested in joining and/or pitching, please feel free to register here.

You can see the full list of VCs joining us for Office Hours on this Calendar.

Be on the look out for our newsletter next week where we’ll bring you more actionable advice, resources, and success stories.

Let’s All, Get Funded!

Best,
Darrel Frater
Investor at Serac Ventures
Twitter/X | Linkedin | Preneur

P.S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to a founder you know who could benefit from these insights!

P.S.S. Got ideas or suggestions for Get Funded? Shoot me an email at [email protected] for us to discuss!

About Serac: Serac Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that targets companies at the pre-seed and seed stage writing initial checks between $250K - $500K. Our core sectors include fintech, SaaS, and Future of Work. Learn more at SeracVentures.vc.