Investor & Startup News from Dealum

​[[{"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...

​[[{"value":" Dealum is excited to announce its partnership with StartUpNV, Nevada’s state-wide accelerator and venture fund dedicated to building a diverse and resilient economy. This collaboration aims to support and enhance StartUpNV’s impactful programs that educate, cultivate, and attract investment for entrepreneurs and startups.  “We are happy to contribute to the growth of Nevada’s entrepreneurial community through partnership with StartUpNV ,” said Seren Rumjancevs, the CEO of Dealum. “What stands out for us in StartUpNV is that their business strategy focuses on investing in non-traditional founders and markets, contributing to economic diversification. We want to contribute to this strategy with our platform and services!” StartUpNV is proud to partner with Dealum as their centralized startup investment platform. “Our team can easily manage all of our venture and investor education conference funds, evaluate companies for investment with customizable diligence requests and assessment tools,...

​ Before – the challenge Before adopting Dealum, sTARTUp Day faced operational challenges. Pitching competition organizers struggled with the manual nature of the event management: startups registered via Typeform and data was managed and processed in Excel. The festival's growth over the years made this approach unsustainable. As the event evolved and the number of participating startups increased, the workload became overwhelming – old methods required increasingly more time and effort. The decision to transition to Dealum was influenced by practicality. Dealum's founder, Rein Lemberpuu, is also a founder of sTARTUp Day and recommended the platform. The primary criterion for choosing Dealum was its ability to make the organizers' lives easier. Dealum's user-friendly interface and comprehensive platform features aligned with the festival's goals. The decision was later reinforced by Dealum's support system, assisting whenever needed. The competition has grown significantly. In 2017, around 20 teams were...

​ Another year has passed and my, oh, my, does the time pass fast these days! As part of our tradition, it’s time to look back and appreciate where we’re at and how far we’ve come.  Despite the global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, Dealum as a whole is in a good place. We know why we’re here and where we want to go. We have the patience to build a fantastic team without compromising on any team member’s motivation or professionalism. We continue to build a great product that the customers need and are financially self-sufficient. None of these can be taken for granted being a young-ish company operating on a global scale. As the CEO of Dealum, I am filled with gratitude towards our founders for their wisdom, the team for their hard work, and our customer community who take pride in helping us build an even better Dealum. From the bottom of my heart – thank you! But this is not all, there are many more smaller things to appreciate this year. We are grateful for… … our growing ecosystem This year has...

​ The world of startups is all about dreams, innovation, and building the future. But let’s not be coy – it is also about returns on investment. Both the founders and the angel investors hope that there comes a time to reap the rewards of all their hard work and dedication – a successful exit. Let’s find out, when is a good time to exit, what strategies can be used, and how to know what is the best option. Exit: why you need a plan  An "exit" is an event or strategy through which founders, investors, or shareholders ‘cash out’ their investment – in other words, liquidate their ownership in the company into tangible assets like cash or other securities. The timing and method of the exit can vary significantly and depend on the specific goals and circumstances of the parties involved. An "exit strategy" is a plan on how and when the stakeholders of a company intend to or have an opportunity to exit their investment. Exit strategies give founders, early investors, and other stakeholders a roadmap to their...

​ Dealum, the forefront platform for angel investing and angel group collaboration, is thrilled to announce the renewal of its partnership with the Angel Capital Association! This cooperation solidifies Dealum’s position as a recognized ecosystem member, showcasing our commitment to fostering connectivity and collaboration within the global angel investment community. Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum, expressed enthusiasm about the ongoing collaboration: “The USA with its vibrant startup investment scene is a globally recognized investing ecosystem and ACA plays a major role in influencing and developing the future of co-investing. We’re very excited to learn, directly from the source, how angel groups work and play together. Dealum aims to grow, develop, and mature together with the ecosystem and the insights collected from the ACA and its member organizations are invaluable for us to continue providing the tools that angel investors need.” The collaboration between the ACA and Dealum is founded on shared...