Your pitch deck can be the difference between landing a meeting or being overlooked

Welcome to the 6th edition of The Get Funded! Newsletter—where we break down the latest from our Get Funded! Office Hours session on Twitter/X and equip you with tools to take your fundraising to the next level.

Missed this session? Listen to the recording here.
Interested in joining the next session? See what VCs are coming next and register here.

1. Sessions Overview:

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

• Session #1: Tanaka Tava, IR Associate at Capital Factory
  ​Capital Factory has been recognized as the most active investor in Texas since 2010 according to Pitch Book known for being the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas.

• Session #2: Joshua Taylor, Director at Fifth Star Funds
  ​Fifth Star Funds is a venture philanthropy fund seeking to address the funding epidemic in America where only 1% of venture capital is awarded to Black founders.

We also had our first session of Founders Circle, a new weekly peer mentorship group by Serac Ventures. If interested in joining the next session on Saturday, October 12th at 10am CST, fill out this form here.

You may access the recording of the Main Room Discussion with Amit Nath, Co-Founder of WriteSea, and Darrien Watson, Founder of SquadTrip.

2. Office Hours Recap:

Key Takeaways from the session on October 4, 2024:

• Tanaka Tava, IR Associate at Capital Factory:

  • Stage: Pre-Seed to Series B

  • Industry: Dual-use technology, defense, aerospace, life sciences, robotics

  • Check Size: $100k-$5M, with SPVs for follow-on rounds

  • Geography: U.S.-based companies with a Texas connection

  • Key Takeaways from Session:

    • Texas Ties Are Key: Capital Factory is focused on companies with connections to Texas, but relocation is not required. A co-founder or satellite office in Texas can be sufficient.

    • Dual-use Tech Focus: The firm is particularly interested in companies involved in defense, aerospace, life sciences, and robotics, with an emphasis on innovations that can serve both commercial and government sectors.

    • Investor Engagement: The best way to connect with Capital Factory is through LinkedIn, especially by engaging with Venture Associates, who review deals every week and advocate for founders within the firm.

• Joshua Taylor, Director at Fifth Star Funds:

  • Stage: Pre-Seed, Friends & Family Round

  • Industry: Industry Agnostic

  • Check Size: $25K

  • Geography: U.S.-based, primarily Houston and Chicago areas, with plans for national expansion

  • Key Takeaways from Session:

    • Filling the Funding Gap: Fifth Star Funds is focused on helping Black founders raise friends and family capital through $25K SAFE notes, addressing the inequities and biases they face in early-stage fundraising​.

    • Relationship-Driven Investments: Joshua emphasized that building trust and relationships is key to accessing capital from Fifth Star Funds. It's all about demonstrating market knowledge and traction over time​.

    • Lean and Structured Process: Despite being a small team, Fifth Star Funds follows a stringent rubric for evaluating companies and stays objective in its screening process, ensuring consistency in decision-making​.

• Pitches from Session #1:

  1. [13:08] David - Yolby

     • AI-based customer engagement and loyalty rewards platform.

  2. [15:40] Patience - Midley AI

     • AI-driven platform improving social media content creation.

  3. [18:15] Steven - Water Bottle Company

     • Eco-friendly water bottle product with integrated tech features.

  4. [21:28] Investor from Nepal - Play Unit

     • Gaming platform offering educational and entertainment experiences.

  5. [23:51] Ayesha - Casual Recovery

     • Comfortable apparel brand for post-surgery patients and recovery.

  6. [26:55] Ido - Fluento

     • AI assistant improving English communication in work meetings.

  7. [29:39] MC - Mark Technology by ForceField

     • Cybersecurity solution preventing cybercrime using proprietary technology.

  8. [33:30] Ben - Stealth Startup

     • Enabling diaspora immigrants to safely send resources for essentials.

  9. [35:35] Kenny - Ample

     • Personalized plant-based protein shakes for various dietary needs.

  10. [38:22] KF Media - Functional Learning Center

      • Learning center using media to teach functional life skills.

  11. [40:39] Rahul - Muzium

      • Music app uniting cultures through diverse global sounds.

  12. [43:43] Pisa - Lifeline

      • Health tech platform offering quick access to care.

  13. [49:44] Sarna - TGS Tech

      • Technology solution focusing on smart transportation systems.

  14. [53:26] JCC - Gaming Studio

      • Creating custom video games for business, education, training.

  15. [57:00] Anil - Whistle Dot Tech

      • Tech company providing whistleblowing platforms for corporate environments.

  16. [59:21] Nova - Wazel AI

      • AI-powered social media analytics platform for engagement insights.

• Pitches from Session #2:

  1. [01:11:17] Paula - PawsTopia

     • Pet industry concierge app aggregating services for pet owners.

  2. [01:14:55] Nicole - Social Butterfly AI

     • AI-powered content chain management for solopreneurs and businesses.

  3. [01:20:15] David - Afrex

     • Cross-border payment platform for Africans using stable coins.

  4. [01:24:52] Benham - With Community

     • Geo-social app connecting people through nearby shared hobbies.

  5. [01:28:42] Ray’Chel - 4 Our Last Names

     • Financial trauma platform for first-generation wealth builders.

  6. [01:33:41] Phil - Synchro Lux

     • Semiconductor technology company focused on customization flexibility.

  7. [01:37:00] Bill - Fit Copilot

     • AI-powered custom health plans for gym members.

  8. [01:40:15] Lola - Happy Hapi

     • AI-based patient assessment and documentation app for healthcare.

  9. [01:45:40] Elijah - Tuma Inc.

     • App enabling small businesses to accept payments via phone.

  10. [01:49:59] Amika - Annie

      • Corporate wellness platform improving employee engagement and wellness.

  11. [01:52:23] Darion - Cortez (Luxury Footwear)

      • Black-owned luxury footwear brand for high-end buyers.

  12. [01:56:34] Gabriel - Founding Titans

      • Community-based platform optimizing networking and resource connections.

  13. [02:00:15] Danny - Fun on the Run Plus One

      • App for in-person connections based on shared interests.

*Founder and Company Names are Auto Generated and will not always be accurate

3. Funding Resources:

Resources of the Week:

• The Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award
  Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with Shop with Google to provide $250,000 in grant funding to unlock the next horizon of growth for three Black-owned businesses.
  Deadline: 10/16/2024

• Panasonic Well Family Wellness Innovation Challenge
  The inaugural competition aims to find and award between $125K and $500K to the next breakthrough startups that are helping redefine the future of well-being.
  Deadline: 10/25/2024

• Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) Winter 2025 Program

  ERA invests $150,000 on a post-money SAFE in return for 6% of each company.
  Deadline: 11/4/2024

Book of the Week:

• Never Enough: From Barista to Billionaire by Andrew Wilkinson
  Andrew Wilkinson shares his journey from humble beginnings as a barista to building a billion-dollar empire. His insights on bootstrapping, acquisitions, and scaling provide practical advice for entrepreneurs aiming to grow sustainably without heavy reliance on venture capital.

• Why I recommend it: Andrew's story is a powerful example of resourcefulness and strategic growth that founders at any stage can learn from. 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.

• Access up to $1M in non-dilutive funding + additional resources to relocate to Tulsa. Submit interest here.

4. Tweet of the Week:

A great pitch deck can be the difference between landing a meeting with investors or being overlooked.

Check out this insightful video by Chris Tsakalakis, Venture Partner at Serac Ventures, where he breaks down what investors look for and how to structure your deck for success.

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? Be sure to join us for the next Get Funded! Office Hours session. You can view and register for upcoming sessions using 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 seed stage writing checks between $250K - $750K. Our core sectors include fintech, SaaS, and commerce enablement. Learn more at SeracVentures.vc.