How I Raised It - The Podcast Where We Interview Startup Founders Who Raised Capital.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Mitch Grasso of Beautiful.ai. Beautiful.ai makes an AI-powered presentation tool created for building visual documents. The Company recently raised an $11M Series B. In this episode, Mitch talks about his "ridiculously easy" funding round (and his decision whether to raise at all), the importance of product/founder fit, raising before launch (and before numbers / metrics can be used against you), what he's doing differently on his third venture-backed startup, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Emily Best of Seed&Spark. Seed&Spark is a crowdfunding and digital distribution platform. The platform helps filmmakers and audiences join forces to fund, promote and watch new independent films, enabling filmmakers to support new film projects and audiences to watch more independent movies. In this episode, Emily talks about the realities vs. perception of fundraising, building a diverse cap table, the similarities of funding a film vs. a startup, and much more. Note: to put some of the conversation threads in context, it might be useful to read this Medium post: https://medium.com/techstars/how-raising-a-2-m-seed-round-really-actually-went-b1c53ff9096a

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Ryan Pawell of Indee Labs. Indee Labs is a developer of gene delivery hardware designed to unlock gene-modified cell therapy for the masses. In this episode, Ryan talks about raising money for a bio hardware business, raising money from a variety of sources -- from the Australian Government, to Y Combinator, to Founders Fund -- and everything in between. He also discusses using government grants as a proxy for revenue, and how to run a phased milestone-based approach when fundraising. **Note: apologies for the variation in audio volume.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Yaz Shehab, CEO of Brachium.com. Brachium is a healthcare technology that provides dental care services using robotics, machine learning and digital augmentation. In this episode, Yaz talks about the challenges of raising capital for a dental robotics company, the importance of grit and commitment, the reaction he got from Sand Hill Road, and how he ultimately raised capital from the best source around: his customers.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. In this interview, we chat with Kel Guerin of Ready Robotics. Ready Robotics is a "robotics-as-a-service" startup that leases collaborative robots to manufacturers for a period of time ranging from a few days to a year. The Company recently raised a $15 million Series A in a deal led by Drive Capital. Emerald Development Managers, RRE Ventures and Eniac Ventures also participated in the round. In this episode, Kel talks about the Company's roots in academia and the tech transfer process, how to find investors interested in robotics, why they are expanding in Columbus Ohio, when it's time to start working on your next raise, and more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. In this interview, we chat with Julien Meyer who runs the popular "Startup Financial News" podcast and is a serial entrepreneur. Julien is also producing a movie called "Funded - The Movie" due to be release in 2019. In this episode, we discuss how to "hack" large startup conferences like Collision or Web Summit, how to stand out in an ecosystem where startups are now part of popular culture, how fundraising is both a relationship game and a follow-up game, and how to build multiple funnels simultaneously.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Kasper Kubica and David Spratte of Carpe Lotion. Carpe makes an antiperspirant lotion created to stop sweaty hands. The company recently raised $2.3 million of seed funding in a deal co-led by Carolina Angel Network and Duke Angel Network. LaunchCapital, Rubicon Venture Capital, Seth Radwell and Triangle Angel Partners also participated in the round. In this episode, Kasper and David talk about starting a business while in college, pitching investor groups like Duke Angel Network and the Carolina Angel Network, raising capital for a startup that doesn't really "fit" into any category, tag-teaming the pitch, and more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Ryan Singer of Chia.net. Chia is building a more eco-friendly cryptocurrency which harnesses cheap and abundant unused storage space on hard drives. Chia raised $4.17 million of seed funding led by Naval Ravikant along with Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock, True Ventures, Danhuacap, DCM, MetaStable and other undisclosed investors. In this episode Ryan talks about how Chia differs from Bitcoin and other coins, raising capital from Naval and VCs, the Company's upcoming Reg A+ public offering (and why they are not currently doing a token sale), and whether crypto currencies is a "winner take all" market.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Ryan Fink, CEO of Streem.pro. Streem is a on-demand communication and collaboration tool for home service professionals. Based in Portlan, OR, the Company recently raised $3.7 million of seed funding from GVR Fund, Flying Fish Venture Partners, Columbia Ventures, Rogue Venture Partners, Curious Capital, Betaworks, Greycroft, GGV Capital, Archivist Capital, Oregon Venture Fund, Portland Seed Fund and General Catalyst. In this episode, Ryan talks about pitching investors with just an MVP, building a 2-sided market, turning around investors who said "no" by sending them regular progress updates, raising money in Portland, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Cody Barbo, CEO of TrustAndWill.com. The Company recently complete the "Techstars Anywhere" program and raised $500k via convertible note. In this episode, Cody talks about "reflective listening," his agenda for pitch meetings, hacks for closing the round and getting docs signed, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and so much more. For more on his previous company, Industry -- and the wild ups and downs -- check out https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/today-i-am-moving-from-company-founded-3-years-ago-cody-barbo/

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Johnny Reinsch of Qwil.co. Qwil makes an independent contractor management platform designed to empower freelancers with the financial services they need to thrive. Qwil recently raised a $5 million Series A led by Mosaik Partners with participation from NextGen, Reciprocal, 500 Startups, Cantos Ventures, Ranch.vc and Silicon Valley Bank. Qwil also raised a $102 million debt financing from Route 66 Ventures. Previous investors include Plug & Play Tech Center. In this episode Johnny talks about leveraging the FinTech track at 500 Startups, maximizing your warm intros, doing the "Sand Hill Shuffle," raising a large ($100M+) debt round, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Chris Ripley, CEO of Smarter Sorting (www.smartersorting.com) which makes software to help cities better sort hazardous household waste. The Company recently raised a $5M seed round led by from RTP Ventures. Previous investors include 415 Investments, McCune Capital, Niagra Business & Innovation Fund, Texas Venture Labs, Austin Technology Incubator and others. in this episode, Chris talks about raising money for an "unsexy" startup, raising capital from investors who (originally) said "no," what to ask VCs in the first 5 minutes of a meeting, how to react differently to leads vs. followers, some key Austin resources, and more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Jonathan Ende, CEO of SeamlessDocs.com, a cloud-based e-signature platform that helps governments move all their forms online. The Company recently raised a $7.5 million Series C round of venture funding in a deal led by SJF Ventures. Motorola Solutions, Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator (ERA), NY State Innovation Ventures, CapRock, Govtech Fund, 1776 and others participated. Previously the Company raised from Kernel Capital, OnGrid Ventures, SoundBoard Angel Fund, Urban.Us, Harvard Business School Angels and New York Angels, Code For America, K Street Capital, RosePaul Ventures, Govtech Fund and others. in this episode, Jonathan talks about the criticality of focus and persistence, the rise of "GovTech" as an investing category, key questions to ask investors to gauge interest level, understanding the investor's decision making process, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Scott Abel, CEO of Umuse.io. Umuse is an app that consolidates email, text, chat, and other communication channels into one stream. The Company recently raised $5 million of seed funding from Shasta Ventures, Next Coast Ventures and Floodgate Capital. In this episode, Scott talks about the evolution of the Austin startup scene, getting to know VCs well before fundraising, the importance of storytelling when raising capital, when to raise the next round, and more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Maggie Louie of DevCon Detect, a network security platform that helps publishers protect revenue against fraud. The Company is currently enrolled in two accelerator programs run by Techstars Barclays as well as Engage Ventures. The Company has also raised capital from Off The Grid Ventures, GAN Ventures, Newfund Management, Las Olas Venture Capital, Start Co., Innova Memphis, Golden Seeds, The JumpFund, and angels such as Kelly Fowler, Chad Fowler, Jennifer Collins, Miles Cook, Andrea Nunn, and Hampus Jakobsson. In this episode, Maggie talks about using accelerators to generate customers and test business models, the startup scenes in Memphis and Atlanta, getting mentoring, and more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Andre Lorenceau, CEO of LiveLikeVR, an an online broadcasting platform designed to help see live sports with the help of virtual reality. The Company recently raised a $9.6 million Series B from Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, CourtsideVC, and Dentsu Ventures, along with Elysian Park Ventures, Evolution Media, GC VR Gaming Tracker Fund, Greycroft, Lepe Partners, National Basketball Association, CAA Ventures, David Stern and Jonathan Goldman. In this episode, Andre talks about going through Techstars, leveraging the "underdog role" to attract investors such as David Stern (former Commissioner of the NBA), the importance of grit and perseverance, and having clear milestones for each successive funding round.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Brett Belchetz, CEO of Maple (www.getmaple.ca). Maple makes an online medical consultation platform in Canada, allowing consumers to instantly connect with physicians to diagnose medical issues. Maple raised a $4 million Series A venture round from MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, Global Excel Management, and Jeff Fettes, among others. In this episode, Brett talks about the Toronto startup scene, being capital efficient, growing your metrics vs. managing your burn rate, building relationships with investors over time, raising money from strategic investors, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Olof Mathe, CEO of www.MixMax.com, an email and scheduling software platform used by salespeople, recruiters, customer success teams and more. Olof talks about finding an industry leader investor to attract other investors, raising money with an AngelList Syndicate, engaging your investor base via monthly updates, raising an "opportunistic" round when you don't necessarily need it, how raising capital allows you to be bolder and place bigger bets, and much more.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Jonathan Polter, CEO of www.PawnGuru.com. PawnGuru is an online marketplace to pawn, buy and sell used goods from pawnshops. The Company recently raised raised $2.5 million of Series A venture funding led by Impact America Fund and Invest Detroit Ventures. In this episode, Jonathan, an ex-Rabbi, talks about how the pawn industry works, the Detroit and SE Michigan startup scene and what it takes to raise capital outside of the coasts.

Produced by Foundersuite.com, "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders who have raised capital. This episode is with Alex Canter, CEO of Ordermark (www.ordermark.com), a Los Angeles-based online ordering management platform funded by Techstars, TenOneTen Ventures, Mucker Capital, Act One Ventures and several angels. Alex talks about growing up in the restaurant business (Canter’s Deli in LA) and how that led to the idea for Ordermark, raising money from (and through) family members, converting an angel investor into the company’s CTO, and pitching Los Angeles investors.