Brandon Kim

Thanks Chinenye. I couldn't agree with you more. However while we work on this, we also have to be mindful of the fact that bias isn't just the problem in this data rather a combination of poor economy and bias. Of all these regions mentioned, Africa is the least performing market. therefore Davidson, naturally you would expect investors to do less there. They are not charity organisations but a venture set up for outsized returns.Therefore the major issue we should be discussing is, which sectors are receiving this funding in Africa? Are the investments coming to sectors that will lift the other sectors up fundamentally or to sectors that will window dress the issues? or Worst still the ones that will reap-off on the people and distort rather than disrupt the system. (eg Nigeria POS fintech and the real banking system. a discussion for another day). Until strong investments are made in the technology sectors powering manufacturing strong job growth in Africa be it REAL B2B eCommerce not repeating what is already being done, or B2C eCommerce that is truly efficient and cost effective. Equally important is the improvement in the purchasing power of the consumers via credit card system. in as much as Sub-Sahara Africa lacks good credit system that captures the average citizens and residents, B2C will continue to struggle. in as much as our logistics investments are predominantly in the last mile delivery rather than efficient crosborder logistics, both B2B abd B2C eCommerce will struggle to scale efficiently and profitability. So, it's time for the investors to do away with the low hanging fruits and start tackling the real issues that will empower and propel Africa economies. That's where the main bias lies.

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Some thoughts after spending some time with a handful of builders and investors in NYC this past week! 1. New York City is quietly fostering one of the most vibrant and underrated consumer founder communities in the country. This ecosystem is bursting with innovative energy, driven by founders who are deeply embedded in culture and consumer behavior. For those who haven’t tapped in yet, I strongly recommend paying attention—it’s a hotbed of potential that’s primed for growth. 2. Understanding and valuing consumer products demands more than just financial acumen; it requires a deep understanding of culture, trends, and human behavior. Many investors are stepping away, not because the space isn’t viable, but because they lack the nuanced taste and cultural insight necessary to identify and nurture truly impactful consumer products. This gap presents a massive opportunity for those who “get it” to dominate the market with culturally relevant investments. 3. In today’s world, a product or service that lacks a strong community component is missing the mark. Community isn’t just an add-on; it’s the foundation upon which modern consumer brands are built. Doubling down on building and nurturing a community around your product can create a powerful network effect, driving organic growth and fostering long-term loyalty. 4. The next wave of consumer social platforms won’t look like the traditional social networks we’ve become accustomed to. Instead, we’ll see social experiences seamlessly integrated into other aspects of daily life, such as fashion, education, and real-world interactions. This evolution will redefine how we connect, share, and engage, creating new opportunities for innovation at the intersection of technology and everyday life. 5. Simplicity wins — In a world overflowing with options and information, simplicity is the ultimate competitive advantage. Products and services that cut through the noise with straightforward, intuitive designs and clear value propositions will stand out. Complexity might seem impressive, but simplicity is what drives adoption and sustained success in the consumer market.

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Check out our curated list of #New York funded startups, featuring key insights like HQ locations, founded years, and investor info. https://lnkd.in/dbw7pUqq #startup #startups #venturecapital #funding #vc #investmentbanking

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I recently saw this metric from Carta’s 1Q24 VC Fund Report, which is very concerning. DPI... is nowhere to be found in earlier vintages that probably should start showing DPI. Funding early-stage projects is great, but ultimately, these venture dollars need to exit their investments and pay back their limited partners. That’s where the metric Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI) comes in. While managing a fund, we get interim measures during the life of the fund (e.g. IRR, MOIC), but ultimately, “you can’t eat IRR.” If you want to build a lasting venture capital organization, you need to start showing DPI for your fund. Keep in mind that this is traditional VC data from Carta, and is not strictly crypto venture. Crypto venture tends to get liquidity earlier (tokens) and things tend to go parabolic sooner (faster, more unicorns) - but I’d wager that the data here is somewhat similar for Crypto VCs… Not as much DPI as there should be from these earlier vintages. Read the full article, as well as a recap of all the crypto fundraising rounds for August, here: https://lnkd.in/g3eVJ-iF

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HUGE opportunity

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What is pre-seed funding and why is it near impossible to secure? I am mentoring several ventures. They all ask the same thing. “Where can I get capital since I have NO REVENUE?” Pre-seed, or “family and friends” funding, is the initial step toward getting enough capital to develop a product. Since pre-seed money is the earliest part of the fundraising journey, few startups manage to secure capital at this stage. Most entrepreneurs in this situation have yet to get a product to market and may not even have a prototype. Convincing pre-seed investors to bet their hard-earned money on an idea that hasn’t been fully completed yet can be tough. But why is it so hard if since so many people want to support tomorrow’s future founders? 1) Lack of Customers/Traction: Investors often want to see some evidence that a startup has traction, whether that's in terms of user growth, revenue, or other metrics. Early-stage companies might not have these metrics yet. 2) Unclear Business Model: Startups might still be refining their business model or value proposition. Investors need to see a clear and compelling plan for how the business will make money- margins, rate of growth,… how will you get there. 3) Team and Execution: Investors are betting not just on the idea, but on the team’s ability to execute. A strong, experienced team can help mitigate some of the risks. Who is on your team? 4) Market Potential: Investors want to see a large, addressable market. If the market size is perceived as too small, it can be harder to secure funding. 5) Competition: Is your venture a stand out? I contend many founders I work with are thinking about their venture but not applying the details and the discipline needed to fully lean in and get their venture going. Show me your obsessive dedication to acquiring customers and I contend you might see pre-seed revenue come your way. 1909 FAU Tech Runway #LeanIn #Innovate TechNexus Venture Collaborative DePaul University

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Success in VC meetings isn't just about the call itself. It's about what you do before and after. Here's how to stand out: Before the Call: Send a reminder 24 hours in advance - Include your deck and any prep materials - Ensures your info is fresh in their mind Research the VC and prepare thoughtful questions - Show you've done your homework - Demonstrates genuine interest in their firm During the Call: Ask about their process and next steps - Shows you're serious and organized - Helps you plan your follow-up After the Call: Send a follow-up email within 24 hours - Recap key points discussed - Confirm next steps - Thank them for their time If applicable, send any additional info promised during the call Remember, only about 1% of founders nail the follow-up. Be in that 1%. These small actions can significantly boost your chances of securing that crucial second meeting. What's your go-to follow-up strategy after a VC call?

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Today was a big win for consumer health, with Flo Health Inc.'s valuation at $1 billion. We're hearing talk about the market becoming frothy again, but I’d argue—without seeing the detailed financials—that this valuation could be entirely warranted. Flo has built an impressive business, with 5 million paid subscribers and 70 million monthly active users. At $60 per year for users to access the product, this business has hundreds of millions in revenue and plenty of room to grow. It's increasingly clear to me that innovators focused on healthcare have been wildly underestimating consumer business models for years, believing that patients would only opt for solutions covered by their health plans and prescribed or recommended by their doctors. That thesis needs updating, particularly given high deductible plans and soaring co-pays. Innovators building solutions that users genuinely love will win - even in healthcare. These businesses also have the potential to move into B2B channels, which is far easier to do when you have an engaged, loyal user base. I expect we’ll see many more consumer health businesses “pop” in the years to come, further proving that consumers are ready and willing to pay for such solutions. We're watching closely at Cherish Kudos to the team at Flo for this impressive milestone. Lainie Muller Charlotte Yeh Aashima Gupta Avanlee Christine Esther Dyson Alexandra Drane Jessica Kamada Vin Gupta, MD MPA Asheesh Saksena Paul Crnkovich Josh Kampel Steve Chazin Lee Wagner #agingwithattitude #independentliving #consumerdrivencare

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Many seed stage companies funded in 2020/2021 most likely won't make it to Series A these days. Over the last few months I watched two seed stage founders I invested in find buyers for their companies and successfully return cash to investors. In both cases the situations were dire and in both cases their existing lead investors were totally MIA. The reality for most VCs is that their best performing companies typically need their help the *the least* and the struggling ones are where it's essential to step up. For VC's, word travels fast when you aren't there to help. And for founders, working with investors who will be there when the chips are down is more important than ever.

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Hi LinkedIn! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but for good reason—I’ve been fully immersed in building at LvlUp Ventures. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve been working on: 🔄 Revamped Startup Review Process: We’ve completely overhauled our internal review process and now meet face-to-face with over 90% of applicants seeking funding! We’ve also streamlined our funding application, making it simpler and more efficient for founders and scouts to submit deals. If you’re looking for funding, you can now apply to up to 9 different funders, including LvlUp Ventures, Expert Dojo, Outlander VC, Musa Capital, Brilliant Minds, Capchase, SPIN Labs and more! 🤝 New Funding Partners: We’ve recently welcomed additional funding partners to our Venture Scout Program including SPIN Labs! 🚀 Targeted Startup Programs: We’ve launched five new programs designed to support startups with specific needs. We’re collaborating with some fantastic groups like Pipedrive, Paro, Shields Group Search, Victorious, and more! 🎧 Partnership with SPIN Labs: We’ve teamed up with Spin Labs to help identify the next generation of innovative media, entertainment, and music tech startups. A special shoutout to Natalie Dunn for her support! 🙏 Gratitude to the Team: None of this would be possible without our incredible team. A huge thank you to Brandon Maier, Aaron Golbin, Martin Kim, Matthew Winter, Alexander C. Tellides, Caleb D. Kim, Devon Dudley, Natalia Shamoon, Javy Martinez, Michael Bank, Danielle Kim, Jerome Timmons Jr., and many others who have been instrumental in driving these initiatives forward. 🙏 Gratitude to our Partners: Allen Smith, Katerina Stroponiati, Ian Garrett, Álvaro Madrigal, Thomas Shields, Pete Tkachuk, Christina DiSomma, AJ Smith, Ashutosh Kumar - Jha, and more! 🔊 GET INVOLVED 🔊 💰 Apply for Funding: https://lnkd.in/e3tnQh9G 🍸 Upcoming Events: https://lnkd.in/dxDxT9Rk

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What I've seen over the years is, early stage companies rarely grow beyond their founders’ capabilities; or at least, companies model after their founders really closely. If the founder is unfocused, chances are the whole company is unfocused. If the founder is incapable of making decisions, the company is likely to have meetings after meetings without clear conclusions. If the founder doesn’t put in 110% of herself in the company, it’s hard to expect anyone else at the company would. 1/ Having cofounders is advantageous in this regard, because no one is perfect and different cofounders can bring different skill sets and strengths 2/ Founders need to have good mentors 3/ Founders must set aside some time to constantly upgrade themselves and “sharpen the tooth”. 

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💸 Attention Pre-Seed Founders: Let’s Build Together! I’m investing $25K checks into Fintech, Health Tech, Vertical SaaS, and AI Infrastructure startups! If your vision aligns with driving innovation in these spaces, I want to hear from you. What I’m Looking For: 🚀 Fintech: Building smarter, more inclusive financial solutions. 🩺 Health Tech: Innovations reshaping healthcare delivery and access. 📊 Vertical SaaS: Specialized software transforming niche industries. 🤖 AI Infrastructure: Powering the future with scalable, game-changing AI tech. I love working with bold founders who are building transformative businesses and are ready to tackle the world’s toughest challenges with clarity and ambition. 🔗 Apply for funding now: https://bit.ly/3ZSxR3l Excited to meet and support the next wave of innovators. Let’s make it happen! 💥

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Want to stand out in a VC screening call? Ask thoughtful questions. Why it matters: 1. Shows you've done your research 2. Demonstrates genuine interest 3. Helps you understand if they're a good fit Go beyond "What's your check size?" Get specific to that fund and even the person you’re talking to. Remember, it's not just about us evaluating you - you're evaluating us too. What's the best question you've asked (or been asked) in a VC meeting?

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When we asked CPG founders who they wanted at Founderland... Their answer was clear: People who can help them grow their business & achieve their goals. Specifically: - The top retailers - The most founder-friendly investors, and - Other founders they can learn from and share with This conversation that I'm hosting at Founderland is a perfect representation of this group, plus one BIG bonus. We're also including Joel Toledano and ChargeUp.ai which is one of my favorite tech companies that is supporting consumer brands today. They automate the retail deduction and chargeback process for brands, saving them an insane amount of time and money. Such a cool co. Excited to teach, share and connect...and get some deals done, while of course having lots of fun. Joel Toledano Jen Zeszut Kim Coffin Deb Conklin

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We gathered dozens of operators from the MGMT Boston Operators Club and local founders alongside the 186 Ventures team this October to discuss the evolution of our dear software markets, the status of some predictions for 2024 (all looking good!), and what’s on deck for next year. General Partner Giuseppe Stuto led us through the following predictions for 2025 to share with you all.. ↕ We will see more vertical AI applications manifest themselves within the Enterprise in a similar ways that SaaS moved from horizontal to vertical use cases 🔔 We will see services business models more common and software budget purchasing models less common - SaaS may even be given away for cheap/free as a “way in” ⚖ Capital efficiency, on a relative basis, will almost be required to create enduring & compounding defensible enterprise value. Details like procurement cycle lengths and creativity with non-dilutive financing, like leveraging revenue based financing tools for example, will all matter 💡 Specific to AI, premiums will be placed on applications that can actually get “reasoning” right. All purpose LLMs still have a ways to go and there are multiple approaches with the “jury still out” on how to get context and reasoning right. Infrastructure solutions that use general purpose or customizable knowledge graphs to help application developers get to 100% (enterprise acceptable accuracy) will emerge OR savvy application developers will fill the gaps themselves. We will likely see both, depending upon the specific case! Thank you Giuseppe, Julian, and Sophie for a great discussion and evening!

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3 moves I made founding FERMÀT I’d make again with a new startup (last 2 are nonnegotiable). 1️⃣ Using your seed check to find product-market fit (PMF). Think about it in unconventional ways (i.e. we used it to compensate ad spend to drive FERMÀT funnels). At this early stage, you want to deploy capital to drive initial usage. Fun fact: Meta, AppLovin, and other ad networks give money to brands to use the platform. 2️⃣ Being disciplined about keeping the right employees. You've seen it 1,000 times from other people on here, but it's true. Keeping bad fits is bad for everyone: → You → The company → Their colleagues Your team has to deal with the repercussions of dealing with them each day—so don’t torture them. 3️⃣ Think 1-3 years ahead for your ideal team. If you have a few people in mind, spend time building a relationship with them somehow. Because at some point, an opportunity will show itself to work with them, and you want to have trust established. People tend to think short-term on teams in the early stage because their focus is fixing fires. But not investing in long-term employee relationships is a mistake. Whether you do some or all of the above, the last two are vital—I wouldn’t start a company without these people principles in place. What’s one thing you’d do differently if you could restart today?

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A new era of deep tech has emerged. First time funds will raise “unheard of” amounts of capital to fuel next gen deep tech startups - producing outsized, superior returns for LP’s compared to the rest. Prudent investors will act on this data and shift investment strategy as LP’s or risk being left behind savvy wealth managers and CIO’s / FO’s who saw this trend begin 4 years ago.

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Science-backed products will reshape wellness. Osman Khan of Squared Circles is revolutionizing how consumer health brands are built and scaled. On the Fitt Insider Podcast, we discussed the venture studio’s $40M funding round, AI-powered ideation, and the playbook for launching successful companies. We also cover: Conscious Maximalism A growing demographic of 43M Americans seeks long-term optimization without sacrificing indulgence. Science as the Differentiator Leveraging novel IP and unique ingredients allows brands to deliver superior products in a crowded market. Data-Driven Conviction Using large sample sizes, clear thresholds, and multiple data points ensures ideas have market potential before launch. Iterative Testing Leveraging AI tools allows for faster iteration and testing of concepts, brands, and marketing materials before significant investment. Future Focus  Niche microbiomes, destigmatizing men's health, and "picks and shovels" for the GLP-1 wave represent major opportunities for innovation. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation https://lnkd.in/emPeiXNP 💪 Presented by EGYM

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Venture capital funds ruined DTC business models. The idea of: 🛑 Revenue growth at all costs 😑 CAC/LTV 🚫 Economies of scale Started when VCs built their thesis around investing in DTC brands. They couldn’t have got it more wrong and as an operator myself I was watching 👀. Why did they get it so wrong? Well firstly a discretionary brand is not a recurring revenue business model like SaaS. Economies of scale is largely a fallacy as OPEX scales with revenue - parcels don’t fulfil themselves. Retention and “LTV” is heavily reliant on category and discounting and is not an indication of loyalty. Marketing costs don’t come down with scale, they grow YoY with Google and Meta’s revenue targets. The list goes on and on… My mission is to make DTC’s lean, profitable, cash generating machines and that doesn’t happen with revenue scaling, trust me!

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