The speaker discusses their experience in raising funding, especially during the pandemic, which they describe as a completely different and challenging process compared to the traditional in-person meetings. They mention that the remote nature of fundraising has its advantages, such as efficiency and the ability to connect with a larger number of potential investors.
The speaker shares their story of successfully raising a Series A round, securing $160 million to fund their vision. They also highlight the challenges faced, particularly as female founders, where they had to constantly prove themselves and their company's worth. They also discuss the importance of building strong relationships and focusing on the long term.
The speaker discusses their early struggles in raising capital, initially starting with friends and family and later pivoting to raising from investors. They emphasize the importance of market fit, having the right partners, and the need for capital to remain competitive.
The speaker also shares their journey of overcoming initial challenges and stereotypes, including unlearning some masculine traits they had adopted in their previous roles. They stress the importance of staying true to their authentic selves and their vision as entrepreneurs.
Finally, they share their recent success of raising $70 million in about eight months, attributing this to their strong business model and the support of their investors. They conclude by stating that raising capital has been easier since their business has grown.
1. The speaker has experienced the challenges of raising funds, especially during the pandemic, as it is a completely different process than traditional methods. [Source: Document 1]
2. The speaker has found it more efficient to conduct meetings remotely, rather than traveling to each investor's location. [Source: Document 1]
3. The speaker has successfully raised a Series A round of funding, securing $160 million to fund their vision. [Source: Document 1]
4. The Series A round was oversubscribed, with 300 investors showing interest. [Source: Document 1]
5. The speaker is currently in the process of raising a Series B funding round. [Source: Document 1]
6. The speaker notes that fundraising has been a significant challenge, especially for female founders. [Source: Document 2]
7. The speaker has faced backlash and skepticism during their fundraising process, with some questioning the viability of their business model. [Source: Document 2]
8. Despite these challenges, the speaker's company has raised about $38 million to date, with $11 million in seed funding and $27 million in Series A funding. [Source: Document 3]
9. The speaker initially raised capital from friends and family, but realized they needed more capital to compete with other players in their space. [Source: Document 3]
10. The speaker's company is the only female-founding company in their broad space. [Source: Document 3]
11. The speaker has raised $70 million to date, and is on track to raise more. [Source: Document 4]
12. The speaker raised $15 million in funding and is on their way to raise more. [Source: Document 4]
13. The speaker has experienced a dynamic shift in their fundraising process, where money gets thrown at them when they don't need it, and they can't raise money when they do need it. [Source: Document 4]
14. The speaker raised $70 million in about eight months during the pandemic, after going through Y Combinator's accelerator program. [Source: Document 4]
15. The speaker found that having a successful business made fundraising easier, contrary to common belief that larger rounds are harder to raise. [Source: Document 4]