Investor & Startup News from Dealum

​[[{"value":" In today’s unpredictable economic landscape, securing funding can be more challenging than ever for startup founders. To address these concerns, Dealum hosted a webinar for founders featuring Alexandra Balkova, an early-stage investor, adviser, and Head of Portfolio at Startup Wise Guys, working with over 450 international startups across 7 different verticals. Understanding the current economic climate Alexandra Balkova highlighted that the number of deals and overall investment volumes have been declining since early 2022. Despite a slight increase in funding volume in early 2024, the number of deals continues to drop, indicating a highly competitive environment for startups. Venture capitalists (VCs) are also experiencing fundraising challenges. Just as startups seek investments from VCs, VCs raise funds from limited partners (LPs). With decreased liquidity and a challenging exit market, VCs are reallocating capital and conducting more thorough due diligence. This longer decision-making...

​[[{"value":" The past couple of years have been rough on the startup community – from the tech layoffs to countless startups going out of business or struggling to raise capital. But one group of startups is doing better than the others during the capital crunch – the bootstrapped startups. We’ve said it before and persist that it’s a better time than ever to be bootstrapping right now.  But how to survive and thrive as a bootstrapped startup? Let’s find out.  The term "bootstrapping" comes from the expression "pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps" – a physical impossibility that conveys the challenge of self-initiation and self-sustainability. In the business context, bootstrapping refers to starting and building a company with little to no external capital. Entrepreneurs "pull themselves up" by using their own resources, personal savings, and revenue generated by the business, rather than relying on external investments or loans.  The appeal of bootstrapping is evident for entrepreneurs – they don’t...

​ NuFund Venture Group, a new wave of angel investors with a fund model investing in technology leaders, and Dealum, a premier platform for angel organizations, are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the investment experience for both investors and startups, fostering innovation and driving growth in the early-stage capital ecosystem. "We are excited to join forces with NuFund," said Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum. "Their unique fund model and impressive network of investors bring diverse perspectives and expertise to the table. Together, we aim to significantly impact the next generation of angel investing." she continued. NuFund has been one of the most active and successful early-stage investor groups over the past two decades. With over 350 active accredited investors nationwide, NuFund has built a reputation for excellence and innovation. The group has consistently invested an average of $12 million annually from 2020 to 2022, focusing on...

​[[{"value":" We have launched Dealum’s new Network feature – a centralized space where angel organizations across the platform can easily connect, follow their partners’ updates, and share news or deals. Angel group collaboration and co-investing have never been easier!  With Dealum’s Network angel organizations can:  Send each other connection requests.Share updates and deals with their connections.Keep up and join in with good deals.See their whole network’s news in one central feed.Network feed and contact book on Dealum Almost filled a round but need those last few commitments? Easily hit up your network to see who might be interested. Reached a significant milestone and want a pat on the shoulder? Let your connections know. Keep missing good deals from your partner groups? Never overlook an email again.  It’s like LinkedIn for angel investing – but in the best possible way.  Dealum’s CEO Seren Rumjancevs says this is a big step towards Dealum’s main goal – a connected pre-seed ecosystem:...

​[[{"value":" The challenge: finding a solution that supports the various components of angel investment group's business model  Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest “by invitation only” angel investor network. It’s also the fastest-growing and most active angel community in the world. The forum is comprised of chapters (i.e. sub-groups) that operate in specific regions, contributing towards the economic growth and funding of innovation in the area. All Keiretsu Forum members are accredited investors and the member community includes successful senior executives, business leaders, family offices, and serial entrepreneurs. What makes Keiretsu Forum special is its highly collaborative syndicated chapter network. This means they need to share information easily yet safely within their own group as well as across other Keiretsu groups. To facilitate the syndication process, they find it very helpful to document as much of the due diligence process, questions, and information as possible. “Having that...

​[[{"value":" How not to make a complete fool out of yourself in front of investors Startup fundraising is a tale of high stakes, high hopes, and occasionally, high embarrassment. It has inspired countless movies, sketches, and memes about inexperienced founders, armed with nothing but a pitch deck and a dream, stumbling through their elevator pitches and investor meetings.  It’s the number one skill that startup founders need to get their ideas off the ground. And it’s also a skill you mostly learn in a battle. But fear not, young founder! This guide will cover the basics of startup fundraising that you can control. We’re not saying we’ll put the FUN back to fundraising, but we’ll help you make your fundraising more professional and less, well, comedic.  Fail to plan or plan to fail – how to make sure you’re prepared for fundraising When you’re asking for other people’s money, the importance of preparation cannot be overstated. It’s your one chance to make a good impression so don’t waste it (or the...

​[[{"value":" The challenge: clunky software and missing information  The Maine Angels are accredited private equity investors who invest in and mentor early-stage companies in Maine and New England. Founded in 2003, they have invested over $39 million in more than 50 companies. Currently, they have around 80 active members and receive 10-15 investment applications per month.  Before Dealum, Maine Angels used Gust for managing their members and investment applications. Even though the solution had similar capabilities and processes, Elizabeth Mills, the Operations & Investment Associate of Maine Angels says that the user experience was clunkier: “Obviously there were things that we liked but a lot of things just took more time or effort. One of the biggest pain points was that the applying companies never submitted all the required information, there was always something missing. We had to follow up constantly and there was a lot of hand-holding required.”  The final nudge to look for alternatives came...

​[[{"value":" The purpose of deal negotiation is – obviously – coming to a deal. Not just any deal, but a mutually beneficial agreement for both the investor(s) and the startup. Angel investing is much more than the “set it and forget it” type of traditional investing and, as such, a successful deal negotiation should be the beginning of a transparent and fruitful partnership for years to come.  Here’s what angel investing deal negotiations usually look like and why they often include a lot of give and take.  What does the negotiation process look like?   Deal negotiations happen when angel investors spot a promising new investment opportunity. The most common ways angel groups find good new deals include general networking, referrals, startup pitch events, online investment platforms, and applications by the startups themselves. A warm introduction from a mutual contact over email or a phone call is a great way to bring a deal to the angel group’s attention. Once the opportunity has been validated and the...

​[[{"value":" 2023 was undoubtedly rocky for the startup world. There’s a widely known saying attributed to Baron Rothschild, an 18th-century British nobleman and member of the Rothschild banking family that "the time to buy is when there's blood in the streets" to which Warren Buffet has added: "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." Both of these hold true in traditional and angel investing.  But is there blood on the streets yet? And if so, how does this affect angel investing? As we’re nearing the end of Q1 2024, let’s take a look at whether the economic downturn and high inflation are good news or bad news for angel investors.  Are things as bad as they seem in the startup world?  We’ve previously written about the tech sector's mass layoffs, as well as the post-covid startup landscape. The verdict still holds – this is more of a correction than a collapse.  After the initial COVID shock, money pumped into startups skyrocketed. At the end of 2022, after one hell of a...

​ Today, everybody who is anybody is dancing away on TikTok – from mainstream influencers to realtors and bankers. What about the world of angel investing? When will we see angel investors promoting their latest syndicate while wiggling away to some hit song? Even though TikTok is likely not going to be the first choice for investment insight any time soon, the power of social media is recognized by angel investors across the globe.  But how exactly can angel groups use social platforms in their favor? And how to make it worth your while? Let’s dive right in.  There are many ways angel investor groups can benefit from a social media presence.  Visibility and networking: being active on social media increases the visibility of your angel group and helps attract potential investment opportunities. You can reach and build a community of founders, other investors, mentors, and the broader startup community. Building a reputation: sharing content like articles, webinars, videos and tutorials on social media can...