Startups burn cash to develop products, go to market, and scale operations much faster than traditional companies. This makes raising capital one of the most critical tasks for the founding team. Yet, raising cash is hard and counterintuitive. Venture capital has its own language and rules, making it difficult to navigate, even for successful serial entrepreneurs.

Enter Funden. Funden is the #1 fundraising platform connecting founders with a partner network of 700+ global VCs, family funds, angel networks, syndicates, and more. I joined Funden during a period of rapid growth. Steve, Co-Founder & CEO, and Daniel, Co-Founder & CGO, brought me on to help startups get ready to talk to VCs.

Steve and Daniel asked me to join as VC-in-Residence and VP of Operations, with the primary task of guiding Funden's customers on their path to successful fundraising. This involved preparing startups to present compelling investment cases to venture capitalists.

My work encompassed a broad range of customer-facing activities, including:

Pitch deck reviews and pitch simulations

Valuation advice and M&A guidance

Narrative building and investor selection

Onboarding sessions and team training

Closing sales deals

I conducted one-on-one sessions with founders to refine their investment pitches, improve their presentation skills, and build compelling narratives that resonated with investors. Additionally, I provided strategic advice on valuation and market positioning, ensuring that startups were well-prepared for investor meetings.

During my tenure, I worked with over 150 startups on a one-on-one basis. I advised B2B and B2C startups across all stages (Series B to Series Seed) and various verticals, including FinTech, web3, e-commerce, TravelTech, EntertainmentTech, RetailTech, PropTech, digital health, BioTech, MedTech, and marketplaces. These startups spanned geographies, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Many of the startups that joined Funden went on to raise significant funding rounds they might not have secured otherwise.