Startup Funding
Thanks for your interest in working together. Unfortunately because I give away so much of my expertise FREE at the events I attend and organize, I receive too many inquiries to review every venture that contacts me.
I'm happy to help your new venture, too, but to maintain control of my schedule I do not do casual reviews of investment or pitch decks, coffee meetings, or “pick your brain” phone calls. Please come to an event where I am speaking and I’ll be happy to chat.
Until then - below is a list of startup capital resources that I hope can be helpful to you. This includes the exciting new StartupInvestorsDirectory.com, as well as several angel groups and venture capital funds where I am involved as an investor, sponsor, and/or officer. All of these specialize in helping early stage venture founders like you.
Please review these services to see how we might work together. If none of these options fit your situation, please contact my office here.
FUNDRAISING STRATEGY CALLS & PITCH DECK REVIEWS
To speak with me directly to develop personalized strategies for your startup or ecosystem, here are ways you can leverage my expertise in startup strategy and fundraising by working together 1 on 1:
Want to talk to me personally?
Startup Founder Private Coaching Calls: If you’re looking for a mentor/expert who can help your startup’s strategy and fundraising or to accelerate your startup community, book a Private Coaching Call with me here. For $499 you’ll get one hour of full access to discuss whatever you’d like. I’ll help you as much as I can to help accelerate your fundraising, outreach to venture capital and angel investors, business strategy, marketing, product development, US expansion, ecosystem development, etc.
Note: An initial Private Coaching Call is required to get acquainted before any discussion of Advisory Board roles or investment. This is simply a filtering mechanism to demonstrate that you’re serious. There is no risk and I’m happy to refund your money if I can’t help you.
Pitch Deck Reviews & Consulting: Want an expert review of your pitch deck or business plan? Visit here to learn how you can submit your Investor Pitch Deck for my expert feedback. For just $399 I’ll record a 20 minute personalized video of my recommendations going page-by-page through your documents. You’ll receive expert suggestions about strategy, content, formatting, business model, financial projections, valuation, deal structure, and more. As an active angel investor myself I know what investors want to see, so I’ll help you position your company to attract the money: https://www.businessplanreviews.com
- These services come with a money-back guarantee and profits are donated to charity. -
Get 50% Off with code BRONZEBETA50 !
Startup Investors Directory - NEW!
Looking for investors? StartupInvestorsDirectory.com is a huge directory of venture capital and angel investors worldwide. I built this new resource to make the funding process more transparent for first-time founders and help more entrepreneurs like you find easier access to capital.
Visit to search by industry sector, geography, previous portfolio investments, and growth stage to find angel investors, angel groups, and venture capital firms that fit your startup’s funding needs.
Learn more at https://www.startupinvestorsdirectory.com
MY ANGEL & VC INVESTMENT GROUPS
Below are several investment groups where I participate. None of these links are traditional venture capital firms.
Instead, they are investment groups/clubs/syndicates. Most of them offer an online application process you can find on their websites. If your submission meets their criteria, you will be invited to a “pre screening” meeting online to introduce your company. If your presentation is well received you may also then be invited to a “screening” where you present your pitch to a larger membership group or investment committee for further consideration.
Please review the information to see if they look like a fit for your venture? Then contact them as suggested - you can use my name as an introduction.
If your company makes it through the screening presentation and due diligence processes, I’ll be happy to learn more, too.
TCA Venture Group
TCA Venture Group (formerly known as Tech Coast Angels) is the largest angel investor group in the US with 400+ members in 5 chapters who have invested over $250 million in 500+ companies since 1997.
TCAVG provides early stage (pre-seed/seed) funding for startups and also provides business connections, mentoring, and helps founders raise additional venture capital funding through syndication. TCAVG portfolio companies have gone on to attract over $1.6 billion in additional investment capital. (This group has a venture capital investment fund and individual members often also make additional “sidecar” investments.) I have been an active member and sponsor for many years and repeatedly have served as part of the Executive Committee and hosted events for Tech Coast Angels Orange County.
For information about pitching your startup visit: https://tcaventuregroup.com
TiE SoCal Angels
TiE Socal Angels is an angel group where individual members invest directly and it also has its own early stage venture capital investment fund. Part of the global TiE entrepreneurs network, the group was traditionally investors of Indian heritage but today includes executives and expertise from diverse backgrounds and industries and welcomes entrepreneurs of all kinds.
They also have a new TiE Women Founders Fund that exclusively invests in Female Founders. (I am a long time Charter Member of TiE and an LP in that fund.) Learn more at https://tiesocalangels.com/entrepreneurs
Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of SoCaL
Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of Southern California is a Stanford Alumni Association group that seeks to unify and enrich the startup ecosystem by facilitating investment, education and mentorship opportunities for entrepreneurs and alumni investors.
(I have served as the Chairman for Orange County, as well as on the local Stanford Alumni Association board for many years.)
Their startup pitch events offer great opportunities for startup founders to practice and network with investors affiliated with Stanford University: https://www.stanfordaandeofsocal.com/
Expert Dojo
Based in Santa Monica, California, Expert Dojo is a prolific early stage investor that offers early stage investment and accelerator type services to seed and pre-seed startup companies. They have a global focus and a special emphasis on investing in female and minority founders.
In exchange for small equity ownership, their accelerator funds early stage companies a set amount and also provides educational services, mentoring, and introductions. If your company is early enough in its growth cycle to benefit from such an investment and educational partnership, learn more at https://expertdojo.com
MONDAY CLUB
Monday Club: Since 1984, the Monday Club has been helping Southern California companies improve their business plan presentations and meet experts who can help them achieve their objectives. Meeting monthly in 3 Southern California chapters, the 1100 members help start-up companies improve their business plans. They know what it takes to make a good presentation, and they know what investors are looking for. Some, but not all, of the members are investors. Learn more about Monday Club here.
FREE STARTUP OFFICE HOURS
Want to ask me for advice or feedback on your pitch? Join me live for the free monthly Startup Fundraising Office Hours.
Watch Startup Office Hours, plus comment and LIVE CHAT at any of these channels FREE:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/startupcouncil
https://www.youtube.com/scottfox
https://www.facebook.com/clickmillionaire
https://startup-office-hours.eventbrite.com
Podcast: http://scottfoxradio.com
Follow the instructions in the event listings to submit your question or investor pitch practice request in advance.
I answer and discuss the best questions live during the show - and previous episodes are archived free on my YouTube Channel.
Crowdfunding
New regulations have made it easier than ever for startup companies to raise money. So I would also encourage you to examine the many new crowdfunding options available to early stage companies. Learn more about these top crowdfunding platforms where you can raise money directly from the public. You should get a discount on crowdfunding campaign fees if you use these affiliate links:
There are many other additional resources that can help your startup here.
NATIONAL STARTUPS DIRECTORY *neW*
National Startups Directory: A low cost publicity service designed to help founders attract more investor attention to their startups. Especially if you are a female or other under-represented entrepreneur, and/or live outside the coastal elite cities, it can be difficult to attract attention from venture capital and angel investors. The National Startups Directory centralizes and standardizes startup company listings to help investors find deals that fit their investment thesis and portfolios.
National Startups Directory is the ONLY startup database in the world that allows startups to categorize themselves by not only by industry, stage, and location but also by founder gender, race, veteran, immigrant, first-time, rural, and other personal characteristics!
Visit the National Startups Directory to learn more here. [And save 50% OFF FOREVER with code: NSDBETA50 !]
Thanks for visiting.
Sorry if all this seems rather impersonal! I donate as much of my time as I can to help startup founders but unfortunately there are only so many hours in each day. As much as I love helping startups, as an entrepreneur myself, I need to guard my time to allow for my own businesses, books, investments, and family, too.
Hopefully some of these resources are helpful to you and your plans to improve the world.
Scott