Investor & Startup News from Dealum

​ Equity crowdfunding, the process of early-stage companies raising funds from a large number of people who invest small amounts, has been a game-changer since the early 2010s. Everyday investors could finally access startup investments and potentially profit from high-growth ventures on platforms like Seedrs (UK), Crowdcube (UK), and StartEngine (US).  In 2023, equity crowdfunding accounted for an estimated 10% of early-stage investments with 240 million Euros raised from the crowd. Although not an insignificant amount and not exactly failing as a source of capital for startups, it’s far behind the expectations of early ‘teens and has faced significant obstacles. What happened, and where is crowdfunding heading? Here’s what we think. Why crowdfunding matters There's a lot that crowdfunding platforms bring to the table, for example: Access to capital – equity crowdfunding has created a new way for businesses to raise capital, even businesses that may not fit the traditional venture capital mould. Companies...

​ Dealum is excited to announce a partnership with Aquaty, a pioneer in digital securitization solutions. This collaboration aims to deliver a fully integrated experience for early-stage investors by simplifying the use of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and streamlining the investment process. This partnership combines Dealum’s deal management tools with Aquaty’s SPV structuring capabilities. Together, the companies aim to eliminate traditional investment barriers by providing a seamless, fully digital ecosystem that spans the entire investment lifecycle.  With the integration, investors will have access to: Automated legal documentation: streamlined SPV setup with reduced legal costs. Seamless capital deployment: end-to-end digital transaction management. Enhanced decision-making: real-time data and insights to facilitate informed investment decisions. “By partnering with Aquaty, we aim to simplify the startup funding process and enhance our platform's capabilities,” said Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum....

​[[{"value":" The new partnership introduces an equity-free, virtual accelerator program to support early-stage founders worldwide. Dealum and Peachscore are excited to begin a collaboration designed to assist startups in building a business. Through a comprehensive, data-driven, and equity-free acceleration program, this partnership offers a digital solution for founders at every stage, from idea to Series A, providing a unique pathway to success on a global scale. Each year, countless early-stage founders are excluded from traditional accelerator programs, and this collaboration aims to bridge that gap by making knowledge accessible to all. The Peachscore + Dealum Accelerator addresses key barriers that often hold back early-stage growth. This program features 500 hours of learning opportunities, including office hours and a structured 12-week curriculum, access to a large network of mentors, and extended support for 12 months. By leveraging a data-centric approach, the accelerator tracks progress in...

​ Dealum is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Business Angels Deutschland (BAND), Germany’s national umbrella organization of business angels. This collaboration provides a great solution for early-stage investments, particularly as the number of German angel networks on the Dealum platform continues to grow. Since its founding in 2017, Dealum has become a go-to resource for angel investors worldwide, helping them manage deal flow, increase member engagement, and facilitate co-investment opportunities. Now, with over 230 investor groups, 27,000 investors, and 95,000 companies on the platform, Dealum’s latest partnership with BAND underscores its commitment to supporting the efficient growth and better connectivity of Germany’s national investment ecosystem. "We're excited to collaborate with BAND," said Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum. "With the increasing number of German Angel Networks joining the Dealum platform, this partnership represents a significant move towards improving connectivity...

​[[{"value":" At Dealum, we know that the buzz and the excitement of the tech and startup scene are intoxicating. “Routine” is a word that doesn’t exist here. But we also know that incubation and accelerator programs, as well as startups, face incredible pressure from all sides. Our team has lived and breathed the startup ecosystem and Dealum is built by startup people for startup people.  In this article, Darja, Seren, and Sandra from our team talk about their hands-on experience with accelerators from both sides of the table – and how this has shaped Dealum. They also share practical tips about using Dealum and managing accelerator and incubator programs in general.  Darja: there’s no ‘perfect’ in processes Darja Ogorodnik is Dealum's Business Development Manager who knows what it takes to keep an accelerator running. She spent five years at Startup Wise Guys, one of Europe's top accelerators where she filled various roles – from Program Manager to Scouting Operations Manager. She helped accelerate over...

​ Last Thursday, Dealum won the Startup of the Year award at the Tartu Entrepreneurship Awards gala. The recognition is a proud moment for Dealum as we steadily revolutionize the investment management and fundraising experience for startups and investors. Our journey to success Founded in Tartu in 2017 by IT entrepreneurs Rein Lemberpuu and Rain Kivisik, Dealum was created to simplify and enhance the process of connecting startups with angel investors. Initially, our focus was on addressing the disjointed and manual methods of investment applications, but now the platform covers the whole deal life cycle from scouting and evaluation to post-investment communication. We currently host over 90,000 startups and 25,000 investors globally. Dealum’s software addresses a critical workflow in the investment process by offering a comprehensive platform where investors and startups can connect, exchange information, and communicate more efficiently and transparently. Dealum's goal is not merely rapid growth but...

​[[{"value":" The live discussion featured prominent figures in the venture capital space: Pankaj Kedia, founder and managing partner of 2468 Ventures, Serhat Pala, co-founder of Cross Ocean Ventures and president of NuFund Venture Group, and Steve Walsh, founder of Hands On Angel. Darja Ogorodnik, the business project manager at Dealum, hosted the panel. Together, these investors and entrepreneurs unpacked common misconceptions, challenges, and best practices in fundraising for startups. Understanding risk: The investor’s perspective One of the central topics in the discussion was the importance of understanding and addressing risks when presenting to investors. Serhat Pala, drawing from his extensive experience on both sides of the table, emphasized that founders often misunderstand what investors seek. "The number one common misconception I see is that founders think investors are looking to minimize risk, but in reality, it’s about understanding the risk," he shared. He further explained that investors...

​[[{"value":" Angel group Name: Charleston Angel Partners (CAP)Region: Charleston area, United StatesFounded: 2004Member count: ~60Using Dealum since: January 2023 Website: https://www.chapsc.com/ The challenge: data silos, lack of transparency, and poor collaboration  Established in 2004, Charleston Angel Partners (CAP) is the area's most tenured member-driven Angel Group. They’re a dynamic group of seasoned investors who work together to support high-growth economic development in the region while seeking attractive investment returns. Members work collectively to benefit from a group experience but act individually in every investment decision. Before Dealum, CAP used a combination of spreadsheets and a platform called Seraf. Diane Szöke, the Operations Director of CAP says this caused data silos, hindered collaboration, slowed down investment decisions, and limited broader participation from those that would like to invest: “Seraf lacked intuitiveness, received no software updates for about a decade,...

​[[{"value":" Navigating the landscape of early-stage investment can be complex, especially when it comes to structuring deals and managing multiple investors. To shed light on this topic, Dealum hosted a webinar on receiving investment through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The session featured insights from Aleksander, Head of Accelerator at Dealum, and Sebastian from Uniborn, a platform facilitating SPV creation.  Understanding SPVs A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is a legal entity, typically a limited liability company, created to pool investments from multiple investors into one entity. This approach streamlines the investment process, simplifies cap table management, and can provide significant benefits to both founders and investors. Advantages of SPVs For Founders: Simplified cap table: SPVs consolidate multiple investors into a single entry on the cap table, making future fundraising and management simpler.Efficient fundraising: By pooling smaller investments into one vehicle, SPVs enable...

​[[{"value":" Running a startup accelerator looks like a straightforward job – pick out promising startups, provide them with some education, funding, and mentoring, and send them on their prosperous way.  But underneath that seemingly linear process lies a web of unique operations, each as complicated as the next one. From juggling applications and paperwork to engaging the community and keeping up with the alumni, it barely gets noticed when done right, but it can also be your accelerator’s downfall when things fall through the cracks.  What are the most common operational challenges that startup accelerators face? How can you build a solid foundation that doesn’t crumble beneath its own weight? Let’s find out.  1. Managing a high volume of applications  Seems like there’s never the right number of applications – there’s always too few or too many.  Why is the growing number of applications a challenge?  They strain the manual processes – as the number of applications grows, the inefficiencies in your...