Pat Kinsel

As we dive into 2024, the Series A fundraising landscape is becoming increasingly daunting. Investment standards are soaring, and fewer startups are making the cut. Series A investors are finding many seed stage companies too premature. The median valuation jump from seed to Series A skyrocketed from $19.5 million in Q1 2022 to $28.7 million in Q1 2024. Investors now demand stronger revenue performance, targeting $2 million to $3 million in ARR, up from $1 million to $2 million. Alarmingly, only 12% of Q1 2022 seed startups secured Series A funding within two years, down from 31.8% in Q1 2020. #venture #earlystage #seedtoseriesa #seed #seriesa #inspireglobalventures https://lnkd.in/gW4bkcNy

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I believe two of the big winners over the next 10 years in the SMB category will be PE who are rolling up the businesses and GenAI powered software that makes running these businesses significantly more turnkey and/or profitable. Thanks for having me on Jay Kapoor. If you want spicy takes fast forward to 25 min mark. If you want to get deep in market analysis buckle in for the whole thing. https://lnkd.in/d8M7Jyrx

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To all #climatetech #founders and #funders in NYC and beyond, please join us on June 5th for an evening of #breakthrough #decarbonization #innovation at the ReGen Accelerator #DemoDay! 🎉 Get ready to be inspired by our cohort of #earlystage startups: ​ ▶ aich2 is engineering a novel #hydrogen ecosystem, built around Solid Hydrogen carriers. ​​ ▶ carbogenics produces sustainable #carbon adsorbents from difficult-to-recycle organic waste, including coffee cups and wastewater screenings ​​ ▶ TeamStack.ai is driving better performance by harnessing #AI, data, & the collective intelligence of teams. ​ ▶ Tesleon LLC uses compelling characters and #storytelling to instill compassion for communities and our planet in the next generation. ​ ▶ Tolam Earth is a trusted #marketplace for high-quality, high-impact carbon offsets. Don't miss out! Secure your spot below. Big thank you to Brown Rudnick LLP for hosting this event, our partners at ClimateHaven for their hard work and dedication during the entire program, and to our incredible network of #mentors and #facilitators, each of whom have dedicated time to working with these incredible founders this spring, including Jason Ambrose, Marina Rakhlin, Lauren Zujkowski, Stuart DeCew, Matt Puccini Andy Rooks, Nina Raab, and Bill Stephney. And of course Shai Tamary, Lars Korby and Sarah Cleveland, without whom we would not be able run such a #program. #innovation #sustainability #climateaction #accelerator

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I chatted with VC general partners recently, and they shared something obvious but still very important for startup founders that is often missed. To succeed, you need three critical roles among the founders: Sales, Product, and Engineer. ✅ Sales is the person who gets customers and drives revenue. ✅ Product is the visionary who shapes the product and keeps it on track with customers' real needs. ✅ Engineer is the one who builds the product and makes it work. Having these three roles covered is crucial! It balances the team and covers all the bases. 💡 If you're starting something new, ensure these roles are in place. It can make all the difference. #StartupLife #Founders #Teamwork #Fintech

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In this exciting episode of the Duran Inci Podcast—where innovation meets deep insight—I am thrilled to host Alex Berg, a pioneering entrepreneur who is revolutionizing industries with his innovative approach at Cratos Equipment, often dubbed "The Tesla of Construction." Visionary Insights: Dive into the motivations that drive top entrepreneurs beyond mere profit. Learn about Alex's passion for transforming the status quo and how it leads to groundbreaking results. The Power of 'WHY': Discover how aligning business operations with core values can shape the future of an industry and forge unstoppable teams. Challenging the Norms: Unpack why tackling complex challenges is essential for creating a fulfilling and impactful future. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone eager to explore the limits of what's possible in business innovation. Tune in and be inspired to think differently and act boldly. #EntrepreneurialSpirit #InnovativeLeadership #VisionaryThinking #BusinessTransformation #CratosEquipment #DisruptTheStatusQuo #FutureOfBusiness #PodcastForChange #DuranInciPodcast #ChallengeConvention

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Dinner. Drinks. EV Charging. Last night Robert Diamond and I hosted a dinner in NYC for several EV charging executives. These executives build hardware, create site selection tools, match organizations to talent, advise on M&A, and accelerate EV adoption in cities. We talked about; - Funding early-stage hardware companies - The impact ridesharing is having on EV adoption - NYC’s "Green Rides Initiative" requiring Uber and Lyft to electrify by 2030 - Transitioning from the “MySpaces” to the “Facebooks” of EV charging companies - Changes to expect in charging infrastructure policy if the White House changes hands in November The next generation of charging infrastructure executives have a unique blend of business acumen and policy insights allowing them to understand how government decisions directly impact their company's operations. Over the next few months, we will host dinners for executives, founders, policy advisors, and investors in Boston, DC, and Dallas. DM me if you’re interested in joining.

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Q1 2024 was the second-lowest quarter on record for global venture funding since 2018 according to Crunchbase, down 20% year over year. Late-stage had the biggest pullback in Q1, down 36% year over year. Early stage funding, however, increased in Q1 2024, up 6% year over year led by AI, electric vehicles, and green energy. Angel investment also held up better than late stage. Does this mean that as the recovery continues there will be a nascent class of younger companies poised for growth? https://lnkd.in/eSR4pZ-a

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Hot take: I think startups die because the founders stop having fun doing them I recently listened to this podcast on Lennys Podcast called "Lessons from 1,000+ YC startups: Resilience, tar pit ideas, pivoting, more" with Dalton Caldwell, a managing director at Y Combinator. He's probably seen more startups go through the journey than any other person in the world. He talks about how the main thing that separates the startups that die and the startups that become successful is not necessarily skill, experience, runway, or any of the other typical factors we may think about. It's the irrational perseverance of the founders who, despite confronting near-death experiences with their startup, still continue. And that irrational perseverance comes from their true love of their customers, their product, their team or a combination of all. They are STILL having fun despite the challenges. AirBnB is a great example of this where they nearly died 3 times and all signs should've pointed to shutting down. But they just loved working with each other and did anything they could do stay alive - even famously selling Obama O's cereal. And we've had a few pivots as as company as well and had moments where I had to question...is this all worth it? Yet, time and time again, I keep coming back to how much I love working with our team, and love solving problems for our customers. I am deeply committed to creating the tools of tomorrow that empower investors to take control of their financial lives. I am personally on a mission to help investors in Singapore aggregate and automate their personal finances across any account they hold - banks, CPF, brokerages, crypto, real estate and more. I would love to hear what other's think of this as well - if the main question we should be asking ourselves as founder is..."are we still having fun building this company?"

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UNLOCKING THE SECREATS OF THE GLOBAL VC ECOSYSTEM : A SUMMIT FOR LIMITED PARTNERS AND VENTURE CAPITALISTS TO THE GLOBAL VC's ECOSYSTEM SUMMIT -------------- 💰💵 Check 1st post in features section in my profile 💵💰 -------------- #VCEcosystemSummit #VentureCapital #LimitedPartners #Investment #PortfolioManagement #GrowthStrategy #IndustryLeaders #Networking #Collaboration #Innovation #Startup #Entrepreneurship #Funding #Investor #LP #GP #VC #PrivateEquity #HedgeFund #AssetManagement #WealthManagement #FinancialServices #InvestmentBanking #CapitalMarkets #BusinessGrowth #Scaling #Expansion #Disruption #Volatility #RiskManagement #Resilience #Sustainability #ESG #ImpactInvesting #Diversity #Inclusion #Equity #Equality #WomenInVC #WomenInFinance #MenInVC #MenInFinance #VentureCapitalist #InvestmentBanker #FinancialAnalyst #PortfolioManager #InvestmentManager #AssetManager #WealthManager #FinancialPlanner #InvestmentAdvisor #VCFirm #StartupAccelerator #Incubator #CoworkingSpace #EntrepreneurialEcosystem #InnovationHub #BusinessNetworking #ProfessionalDevelopment #Leadership #Mentorship #CareerGrowth #IndustryTrends #MarketInsights #FinancialRegulations #InvestmentStrategy #RiskAssessment #DueDiligence #DealMaking #MandA #IPO #PrivatePlacement #HedgeFundManager #AssetAllocator #FamilyOffice #SovereignWealthFund #PensionFund #EndowmentFund #VentureCapitalInvesting #StartupFunding #GrowthCapital #ExpansionCapital #Buyout #Recapitalization #Restructuring #Turnaround #DistressedInvesting #SpecialSituations #EventDriven #CreditInvesting #DebtFinancing #EquityInvesting #MezzanineFinancing #GrowthEquity #VentureDebt #SeedFunding #SeriesA #SeriesB #SeriesC #IPOPrep #PreIPO #PostIPO #PrivateCompany #PublicCompany #MicroVC #NanoVC #SeedStage #EarlyStage #GrowthStage #LateStage #PrivateEquityFund #HedgeFundManager #InvestmentPortfolio #RiskManagementStrategy #InvestmentResearch #FinancialPlanning #WealthCreation #CapitalGrowth #InvestmentOpportunities #BusinessExpansion #MarketTrends #IndustryInsights #FinancialInnovation #InvestmentInnovation #VCDeals #StartupSuccess #InvestmentStrategy #PortfolioDiversification #InvestmentRisk #InvestmentReturn #InvestmentGrowth #InvestmentIncome #InvestmentManagement #InvestmentConsulting #PrivateEquityInvesting #HedgeFundInvesting #VentureCapitalInvesting #AngelInvesting #ImpactInvesting #SustainableInvesting #ESGInvesting #ResponsibleInvesting #InvestmentFirms #InvestmentCompanies #InvestmentPartners #InvestmentNetwork #InvestmentCommunity #InvestmentEvents #InvestmentConferences #InvestmentSummit #InvestmentForum #InvestmentRoundtable #StartupInvesting #EarlyStageInvesting #GrowthStageInvesting #LateStageInvesting #PrivateEquityFirms #HedgeFundManagers #VentureCapitalFirms #AngelGroups #ImpactInvestors

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𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 I recently had an insightful conversation with Derek Andersen, the visionary founder of Bevy and Startup Grind, on my podcast. Derek's journey is a testament to the power of community building and the transformative impact it can have on businesses and individuals alike. I wanted to share some key takeaways from our chat in this blog post. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝘃𝘆: 𝗔 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 Derek's passion for community building led him to create Startup Grind in 2010, a global platform that connects and supports entrepreneurs. Startup Grind's success is a testament to its core values: giving more than you take, helping others first, and making friends. As Startup Grind grew, Derek and his team realized the need for better tools to manage and scale their community efforts. This led to the creation of Bevy, an AI-powered platform designed to streamline community management and growth. It's a great example of how identifying and addressing real-world problems can lead to innovative solutions. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 In our conversation, Derek emphasized the increasing importance of community building in today's world. In the digital age, where connections can often feel fleeting, communities provide a sense of belonging, support, and shared purpose. For businesses, fostering a strong community can lead to increased customer loyalty, engagement, and even product innovation. Derek's insights on leveraging AI in community management were particularly interesting. AI can help automate repetitive tasks, personalize experiences, and provide valuable insights into community behavior. However, Derek also stressed the importance of maintaining a human touch in community building. AI is a tool to enhance, not replace, human connection. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Here are some key lessons I took away from my conversation with Derek: 1.Start with a clear purpose: What do you want your community to achieve? 2.Focus on giving value: Offer your members something they can't find elsewhere. 3.Embrace technology: Use tools like Bevy to streamline your efforts. 4.Never forget the human touch: Foster genuine connections within your community. If you're interested in learning more about community building, I highly recommend checking out the full episode of my podcast with Derek Andersen. It's packed with valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to build a thriving community. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Great time on the Embracing Erosion podcast w/Devon O'Rourke! We talked about: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups and much more!

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Last week we shared the challenges around the escalating bottleneck on the grid -- now let's talk about solutions. Beyond policy, there are many ways technology and startups can have huge impact on the electricity supply <> demand crunch. Please reach out if you're working in the space, or just want to mind share. Sam Smith-Eppsteiner #ai #datacenters #electricity #grid #enegrystorage

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I’m so excited to announce the new name of the vetted community for startup founders I'm building: Village Lane Village Lane connects ambitious early-stage startup founders, both in-person and online, who have at least $100k in ARR or $250k in funding. The name Village Lane is deeply personal to me... It's the street I lived on after business school, in an apartment with my friend Andrew - the kindest, most welcoming, supportive person I’ve ever met, who sadly passed away suddenly a few weeks ago at only 31 years old. It’s also the place where I went full-time on Just Go Grind for the first time when it was a daily podcast and then joined VITALIZE Venture Capital. It was a special time and place and where I took a giant leap in my career. I envision Village Lane (the community) being similar - a special place filled with kind, supportive members looking to take a giant step forward with their businesses. Several experiences have led to the creation of Village Lane: - A transformative MBA experience at USC - Working at VITALIZE Venture Capital for 2.5 years - Growing my social media audience to 40,000+ followers - Building this newsletter to 21,000+ subscribers - Hosting 400+ podcast interviews with founders & investors - Creating an angel investing community with hundreds of members Now I'm focused on helping founders connect, build their personal brand, and create more successful businesses. Village Lane's in-person events will include things like: - Co-working - Social activities - AMAs - Retreats The online component of Village Lane will include: - A member directory - Slack group - Vendor suggestions - Tech stacks - An investor database - Media exposure and amplification - Personal branding assistance We'll also phase in monthly digital peer groups as membership grows. This will all be built around our members and their needs. I’ll share more details as this evolves. Interested in joining? Learn more and apply below.

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Tons of new business owners are missing out. You can get up to $100,000 in AWS credit (as in, no-payback) to build a proof-of-concept if you have an idea and a website. AWS Activate is the program. If you're a founder and you're looking to build cost-effectively before you have paying clients, check it out.

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Since early 2021, VC quarterly exit values have plummeted to $50B or below, a stark contrast to the six consecutive quarters of $100B+ exits before then. With IPOs dwindling and M&A activity slow, the future of venture industry exits appears uncertain. Will we see a surge in private venture-backed company acquisitions? This could be a crucial and innovative strategy to boost VC exits. Increased private acquisitions might offer a much-needed lifeline, providing a creative solution to the current exit drought in the venture capital market. #venturecapital #inspireglobalventures

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Climate tech startups are booming this year, fueled by regulatory support, high energy prices, and strong investment. VC-backed deals soared from $2.1 billion to $8 billion in Q1, according to PitchBook. Exits, however, remain a challenge, with total exit value dropping over 50% from 2022 to 2023, reaching $9.3 billion. Yet, there are bright spots: standout startups like Northvolt and KoBold Metals are gaining momentum. These companies are making significant strides and could be gearing up for exciting IPOs in the near future. https://lnkd.in/gWWzYsWe #climatetech #sustainabledevelopmenttechnology #inspireglobalventures

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Why it matters: Even in a muted fundraising environment, legacy firms can beat their own fundraising goals (a16z's marketing had cited a $6.9 billion target). About half of the targeted capital was aimed for its growth fund, though a16z ultimately raised $3.75 billion for it. Instead of dedicated seed or early-stage funds, it's splitting them in sectors. It raised $1.25 billion for its AI infrastructure allocation (originally targeting 15%), $1 billion for AI apps (also initially targeting 15%), and $600 million for its "American Dynamism" strategy (an original target of 10%). Lastly, it raised $600 million for its second gaming fund, which was targeted as 10% of the fund.

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Serious SaaS startup founders are starting to see how pursuing big VC funding too early will decrease their odds of success. Like buying a lottery ticket for a bigger Powerball prize, the odds go down the more money you raise early in your venture. This is not what the startup tech advisors, service providers, and tech media have been and are still telling us. But the world has changed for SaaS founders in the last ten years. The old recommendation that "the best founders raise VC funding, it's just what you do" keeps going despite the reality and facts. The longer you can go without raising any outside funding or big VC funding, the better your odds of success are as a SaaS founder. Here's why: 1️. Time and Effort Founders in the US can spend up to 50% of their time for 12-18 months learning the funding game, building their network, and trying to raise money. In many cases, for B2B SaaS, they could have generated that much revenue with the same amount of time and effort. And $1M in revenue is worth much more to founders than $1M in funding. Revenue funds your business too, but it keeps on recurring. Funders are looking for startups with efficient revenue growth anyway, so just do that first. 2. Slow is Fast Inviting VCs turns your business into a pro game with serious obligations, important terms, and additional pressures. I've played that game and I dealt with the pressure of working six days a week for 20+ years. But you don't have to push your business that fast and bet it all in the modern B2B SaaS game, in most cases. You can work much smarter by taking a slower approach to achieve better founder-equity-value results without VC funding. I know practical SaaS founders with businesses that are growing by over 50% and are very profitable--and the founders don't work all day. 3️. Better Risk-Adjusted Odds When you raise $5 million and value your company at $25 million, you're agreeing to aim for a half-billion to a billion-dollar exit, which is not realistic for 90%+ of software businesses. It sounds counterintuitive, but it's true. It's hard to get up and running as a bootstrapper at first, but once you do, it's a much better game for founders, customers, and employees. I call them Practical Founders. It's the hidden majority of software companies in the world. They have much better odds of winning this crazy game in the end and doing it their way as they go. VC funding isn't bad or wrong. There is still a place for rocket-ride startups to take it, go for it, and bet it all to go big. But big funding is still overprescribed by funders and misunderstood by most new software founders. PS. This video is a clip from a podcast I did with Finn Thormeier last month. Here is the full episode of the @Founder-Led Marketing Show. - Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gjzRDJ6d  - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gnCcUztS #practicalfounders

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