Startup Funding

Related Guides

Trending

The most popular articles on Startup Funding in the past day.

The Future of Digital Communities

3 min read The Future of Digital Communities. COVID-19 imported the future that we were planning on for around 2030- a future where everybody is going to be able to see and create a digital community. This digital community is unlike that of present-day social media. These communities will function more like how gamers’ communities do. Gamers are great at having a digital community today. Yet for some reason, the world is taking note. Everyone, individuals and companies alike, is still trying to do live online with the audience they get from Facebook groups and pages. Profitable Digital Community Stuart Kime is the Co-Founder and Chief Future Officer of hOp, a company that builds trust within the community while selling micro-social networks to multifamily apartments and churches. Their venture started by selling private social networks to apartment complexes, giving the residents a quick and easy way to communicate as a whole. The company assumed that the platform would be used for the residents to rent and sell to each other. But what the residents created with this micro-network took them by surprise. People were giving and sharing. They were seeing things pop up on the network such as: “I’m at Chick-fil-A, does anybody want anything?” “I’m making brownies, does anyone have vegetable oil? I’ll give you a beer.” A unique marketplace was unfolding, but hOp was never going to get paid on it. They realized they had created a great feature but had the wrong customer. They switched their sites to property managers and owners- people who would have an interest in sponsoring this community. This essentially turned the micro-social network into a subscription-based SaaS application. They then extended to other potential users in subsects that can benefit from this ease of communication but don’t have the modern tech in place to do it such as churches, schools, and HOAs. The Shift to Micro-Social Networks Giant social networks like Facebook are trying to make everything happen on their platform. Facebook tried to clone Snapchat, eBay, and Letgo but inside of Facebook. Now they’re even doing their Nextdoor clone. They are dealing with these large algorithms that are going to lead to challenges in functionality. They end up taking control away from the end-user and dealing with outrage, an outrage you hardly see on smaller social networks such as LinkedIn for example. With smaller social networks comes smaller audiences, meaning less competition, increased control over information, and more direct reach. These micro-social networks also come with the advantage of increased privacy. Look at the difference between Facebook advertising (a mass social network) versus DuckDuckGo (a smaller enterprise). DuckDuckGo works sort of like a Google, but instead of needing to read your Gmail and Google Docs to know more about you to put the right ads in front of you DuckDuckGo simply uses your search term. Facebook is trying to know about you- to really know about you. Facebook is one of the largest buyers of ovulation data from Maya, which is the largest cycle tracker for women. They are collecting ovulation information to know which ad to put in front of you at which time. It’s a bit ridiculous. Creating privacy-friendly alternatives to these free tools that all of us are using on the internet is going to be probably one of the largest growth sectors in the next five to 10 years, and micro-social networks are prime applications to provide this. Investor Advice It seems like it’s going from Facebook to micro-social networks in the generation because people want more control. How should an investor update their investment thesis to participate in this? The key is to look for those who actually own their audience- not those who are running it through Facebook. Investments should be made in companies that have direct control or connection over their social network. Strong companies moving forward are going to be those that create their own world, so to speak. Another interesting way of positioning is going to be going after the sectors that have already mastered this new kind of digital community. For example, gaming communities are really strong. Companies like Discord are going to be moving us into the future with their digital community applications. In short, it is about looking at deals that deal a lot with owning audiences instead of running audiences. Read more in the TEN Capital eGuide: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/ten-capital-eguide-the-future-of-investing-in-saas-2/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

How COVID-19 Is Driving the Need for Digital Security

2 min read How COVID-19 Is Driving the Need for Digital Security COVID-19 is driving rapid adopting of SaaS technology in sectors ranging from telehealth, remote management, virtual conferences, and more. As the world and with it the workplace moves online, we are seeing great leaps in efficiency. However, we are also seeing weaknesses emerge. One of these weaknesses, the reason the virtual work realm hasn’t emerged sooner, is trust in the security of the system. Privacy and security of data, both personal and business, are becoming imperative needs. And when there is a need, there is an innovative company that will emerge to fill it. Why Is Digital Security Suddenly Such A Concern? Covid has driven the vast majority of companies to transition to an online workspace. This means every employee is working from their homes, using their own computer and their own WiFi network. When people work from home in this way, there are more endpoints. Essentially, every employee becomes a potential access point of possibly confidential information. Because of this, companies are suddenly more vulnerable to hacks and intrusions. The increased scalability of cloud infrastructure and the widely distributed workforce add to this susceptibility, making impactful solutions to the issue of data security now even more impactful and valuable. We also are seeing critical societal services being forced for the first time into the virtual workspace that require high-level security. Accountants and lawyers who typically pass paper hand to hand are now working remotely and needing to find ways to manage the security of document transfers and sensitive client information. This shift is leading to innovation and the adoption of new tools in the digital security sector. Investing in the Digital Security Sector Again, when there is a demand or a need, there is always a company that will step up and fill that space. These are the companies you should be looking for as an investor. For example, companies like Zoom had a large increase in their user base and had to build out new security features on their platforms. In the beginning, there were mishaps like the one dubbed the Zoom bomb. People were randomly popping into meetings and sharing things they shouldn’t be sharing within the webinar or group meeting taking place. In response to this, Zoom added new security features to enable waiting rooms. They also required a supervisor to approve everyone that came into the virtual meeting. There is a shift towards companies filling new needs in the marketplace. This includes everything from e-commerce to tools for increased efficiency in the manufacturing and supply chains of businesses during mass crises. And of course, this includes companies offering innovative and effective means of ensuring digital security. So What’s the Takeaway? The adoption of this technology, while rapid, is still in an early phase. A lot of data will be gathered from this time and applied to the next iteration of applied software or service applications. As an investor, you want to look for a company in this sector that can gather the incoming data, process it, and ultimately make it actionable. Read more in the TEN Capital eGuide:  The Future of Investing in SaaS Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

COVID-Resistant Businesses

1 min read What are the COVID-resistant businesses? As businesses continue to close and others face uncertainty many startups find themselves wondering how they will stay afloat. One of the biggest steps a company can take to ensure they are among the COVID-resistant businesses is to reassess their financial projections. For many startups, this should be the first step in ensuring the company stays alive. It’s essential to look at expenses from the bottom up to see what waste you can get rid of and how you can do things more efficiently. While many startups are already running lean, it is important to look at ways to run even leaner. Startups also need tight control on their timelines and roadmaps during these times. When people are remote, it’s a less transparent work environment. Less transparency means that companies need to make people accountable. Employees need to have a clear understanding of the company’s goals to be responsible. It is now more important than ever to keep the lines of communication open. We no longer have the luxury of seeing someone in an office setting where it is easier to measure how employees are doing personally and professionally. It’s essential to be as transparent and open as possible to make it through these uncertain times. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/education/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

The Future of Vaccines

1 min read As the world works toward a vaccine, COVID has the potential to shape what the future of vaccines looks like. It’s not so far-fetched to say that, in terms of medicine, things will never be the same. Of the many emerging trends we see in terms of medicine and the future of vaccines, is the belief that AI-enabled technologies will allow for more rapid drug development. These tools will likely aid in shortened timelines and lower costs for developing drugs and vaccines alike. Another exciting development we see as a result of COVID is the trend of conducting clinical trials remotely. Remote tests have traditionally been a challenge because centers have had to enroll patients, and then for every check-in or check up the patient has had to physically enter the center. However, if you can recruit and screen patients remotely, you can have quicker, more efficient, and more convenient trials.The ability to change how clinical trials are done will dramatically affect how drugs and vaccines conduct their trials. New developments will speed up the clinical trial process. The quicker tests become, the faster humanity can find solutions to health-related challenges. Read more: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/education/ Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network.TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group

Site Map

Scroll to Top