Investor & Startup News from Dealum

​[[{"value":" We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between Dealum, a leading platform for early-stage investment management, and TechCon Global, a purpose-driven organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders through high-impact events.  This collaboration will create a more efficient and impactful matchmaking experience for startups and investors at TechCon Global conferences worldwide by streamlining the application and evaluation process, making it easier for high-potential startups to connect with the right investors. By integrating Dealum’s powerful tools for startup evaluation, application management, and investor engagement, TechCon Global will offer a more efficient and transparent deal flow environment for all participants. “TechCon Global brings together founders, investors, and visionaries shaping the future of technology,” said Seren Rumjancevs, CEO at Dealum. “By integrating Dealum’s functionality into their process, we’re supporting a smoother and...

​[[{"value":" Angel investing is never static. As markets shift and technologies evolve, so do the factors that influence which startups get funded. From round maturity to sector trends, here’s what’s hot, what’s not, and what actually converts interest into investment. The Angel Capital Association’s recent analysis of over 12,000 fundraising applications submitted on the Dealum platform reveals just how much the funding landscape has evolved, and what factors make a difference. In Part 1 of their “What’s Hot and What’s Not” series, ACA highlighted that overall funding rates dropped sharply in 2023 (to only 4.3%) before recovering to 7.3% in 2024. The data shows a clear trend: the more mature and validated the startup, the higher the odds of funding. Series C rounds were funded at a rate of 16.4%, compared to just 3% at the Pre-Seed stage. Similarly, companies already incorporated and with prior funding, lead investors, or accelerator experience were more likely to close a deal. Go-to-market focus also...

​[[{"value":" In this webinar, moderated by Darja Ogorodnik, we brought together organizational change expert Age Rosenberg, Ashok Kamal (Executive Director at NuFund Venture Group), and Diane Szoke (Director of Operations at Charleston Angel Partners). Together, they shared a deep dive into how theory meets practice when it comes to evolving angel groups. “No pain, no gain”: why change hurts, and why it’s worth it “Change is painful, but awareness makes it manageable,” said Age Rosenberg as she opened the session with a powerful summary of two decades of research and fieldwork in change management. Age emphasized that most organizational change efforts fail because they only address surface-level processes – changing a title, rolling out new software, or issuing new rules – without changing the deeper structure of how work gets done. “If you change only on paper,” she said, “nothing really changes. People revert to old habits.” She illustrated this through a case study of a ministry where managers received...

​ Following the highly successful launch of the Peachscore + Dealum Data-Driven Accelerator, which attracted over 700 startups from 77 countries, Peachscore and Dealum are proud to announce the next step of their partnership – bringing detailed startup overviews from Peachscore to Dealum, giving investors deeper insights and helping startups strengthen their credibility with potential funders. Since the accelerator’s debut, founders have consumed more than 7,500 hours of curated content, and several have already secured investments ranging from $150K to $3M. Now, Peachscore and Dealum are expanding their collaboration by enabling participating startups to activate their Peachscore Card – a showcase of each company’s data-driven score, grade, and spotlight report – directly within the Dealum platform. The feature is set to go live in Q2 2025. This new layer of visibility is expected to deliver up to a 4X increase in investor exposure, helping startups capture interest quicker and connect with capital more...

​[[{"value":" As the saying “Never let a crisis go to waste” implies, every situation can be an opportunity to do things you could not have done before. This goes well beyond full-blown crises. Any change in your organization can be either a nuisance or a possibility for growth and progress. Take adopting new software, for example – is it something to get through or an opportunity for overall improvement? We strongly believe in the latter.  Today, we’ll take a glimpse into Organizational Change Management (OCM) – the process of planning, implementing, and overseeing changes within an organization, like implementing new software. Having a structured approach ensures a smooth transition and helps the team as well as angel members adapt to changes. Let’s start with one of the most important questions you’ll face during the changeover. To replicate or not to replicate?  Whenever choosing to adopt a new software, organizations have three ways to approach the adoption process. They can:  replicate their existing...

​[[{"value":" Running a startup accelerator can seem exciting at first – they’re at the heart of passion, innovation, and the promise of a better future. Yet, behind the scenes, running a program includes a lot of admin work. Managing applications is one of the biggest contributors to the accelerators’ administrative burden and can be quite a challenge – from startups applying to the wrong programs to handling the sheer volume day in and day out.  What are the main application management challenges most accelerators face? Where do they go off the track? And which tools and strategies can help keep it all under control? Let’s find out.  Why is managing applications difficult for many accelerators? Most accelerators’ application management problems boil down to one challenge: how to make sure that the right startups are applying to the right accelerator at the right time.  Often, startups apply to an accelerator without fully understanding which industries, focus areas, or stages of development the...

​[[{"value":" For many startups, due diligence is the most nerve-wracking stage of fundraising. While pitching and negotiating terms can be exciting, the moment investors start reviewing contracts, financial records, and shareholder agreements, the heat is ON. It’s a stage where deals can fall apart – or where founders can prove they are worth the investment. At sTARTUp Day, where Dealum organized a seminar, "How to Survive Due Diligence," Marti Soosaar, startup founder and investor, and Alexandra Balkova, partner at Startup Wise Guys, shared practical advice and real-life examples of due diligence done right – or horribly wrong. The key message? Preparation and transparency can make or break your chances of securing investment. Due diligence is often seen as a legal formality, but in reality, it’s one of the biggest trust tests in the fundraising process. Investors don’t just want to check the numbers; they want to understand if the company is structured properly, legally sound, and managed by reliable...

​[[{"value":" As the year winds down, it’s time to reflect on what’s behind us and plan for what lies ahead. We’re not big believers in the clichéd “New Year, New Me” mantra. Maybe that’s just our internal northerner talking — when January through March feel like a never-ending ice bath, it’s hard to muster enthusiasm for grand resolutions. But while people may not need a “new you” in January, your startup can definitely benefit from some fresh focus as you close out the year. Reflect, recharge, and reboot Think of it as an opportunity to take a deep breath: customers are busy with their own year-end chaos, and investors? Well, they’re probably skiing in Aspen. Take advantage of this lull to regroup, recalibrate, and reimagine the road ahead. How to conduct a startup end-of-year review An end-of-year review isn’t just a corporate formality — it’s a chance to figure out what’s working, what’s not, and how to make next year your best one yet. Here’s your guide to wrapping up the year with clarity, intention,...

​[[{"value":" It’s that time of the year again… time to look back, reflect, and give ourselves a good pat on the back for all the good things we’ve done this year. For example – product updates. We released TONS this year. So many, in fact, that when we prepared the list of major new features for the team to vote on, we had to leave out a third because who wants to drag and sort 20+ items into a priority list, right? Furthermore, to make this post more digestible, we also had to leave out some of our CEO’s favourite features that didn’t make it through the team vote, which she is still tiny bit bitter about… so she squeezed some back in as honorable mentions. And that’s how this post came together. But ‘nuff said.  The Dealum team is proud to present – the top 7 features that, in our opinion, made a difference. #1 Network feature  The Network feature allows angel organizations to connect and share deal flow. Deal rooms can send connection requests across the platform, share updates and deals with their...

​[[{"value":" On November 7th, Dealum hosted the Angel Investing Health Check, a webinar that gathered global experts to discuss the state of angel investing. John Harbison (Angel Capital Association, USA), Alessandro Craglia (European Business Angels Network, Belgium), and Ruben Osipyan (Science and Technology Angels Network, Armenia) shared their insights on trends, challenges, and opportunities in this dynamic space. The session combined data and various perspectives to offer a comprehensive picture of the evolving angel investment ecosystem. The Global Angel Ecosystem: A Snapshot Angel investing has become a critical driver of innovation globally, bridging the gap between early-stage funding and venture capital. On the Dealum platform, only about 2% of applicants end up in investors' portfolios and it takes a median of 37 days (on average, 66 days) for a company to get the investment from angels. These numbers reflect both the competitiveness of the funding landscape and the efficiency gains in recent...