Samuel Beskind’s Post

How to raise your first million as a climate tech founder. Over the last 6 months, I coached 15 pre-seed and seed climate tech founders. They have raised between $450’000 and $1.5M. Let me share what has worked for them. 1️⃣ Investor Newsletter A regular investor newsletter to go out every 2 weeks (or every month) is crucial. Be consistent. Why? It allows investors to follow your progress (quietly). The newsletter should have the following format: - Achievements - Challenges - Asks - Goals Why? Investors who are genuinely interested in potentially backing you, will read it. It is a way for investors to follow your progress without having to do 1-1 catch-ups that waste too much time. PS: I read an average of 20 startup newsletters that I am eyeing for future investments. 2️⃣ Send very short messages on Linkedin Busy people dislike long emails. Follow SPEAR method. - Short - Personal - Expecting - A - Reply They want it short and to the point. Come up with a badass 2 liner about your company. 3️⃣ Don’t underestimate the volume required One of the founders in our program sent: - 300 messages - which converted into 22 meetings - and 4 term sheets. We tend to underestimate the volume of investors to approach to get investor commitments. __ Bonus tip: Organize a 45min pitch event via zoom call (with a 10-day deadline to invest.) This works well to close angels. Angels can make decisions fast (unlike funds as they don’t have ICs.) After 10 days the terms change. (For example, the minimum ticket size is no longer accepted.) There should be a 10-minute pitch and a short Q&A. Detailed questions can continue on separate 1-1 calls. If you get into detailed questions on this call it will mess up your flow. Make sure you have one investor on the call who is already an investor in you explaining why he/she invested. Message investors 1-1 in the background to see who is in. It has to be short and high energy. You got this 💪🏻 — Like what you see? Follow Helena Wasserman for more. Sign up to my weekly newsletter where I share startup tips for climate founders.

We're spotlighting Matt Blythe as he shares invaluable lessons on startup sourcing, founder relationships, and investment navigation. Dive in and glean insights from his Climate Angels journey in the latest #CCInsights! Read more here 👉  https://lnkd.in/gce5xKER

Exciting News! 🌱 Hey LinkedIn! 👋 I'm thrilled to share a passion project close to my heart - Earth First, a platform committed to showcasing innovative and impactful climate-tech startups from pre-seed to Series A as well as climate investors. We plan to go beyond surface-level information to provide thorough analyses and information that will educate, inspire, and connect our community. The newsletter format will highlight one startup and one VC/VC firm bi-weekly and provide unique insights on successes, challenges, investment thesis and more. As a recent Tufts University alum, I am excited to dive into the early-stage climate tech space. My co-founder Haley Hughes and I, are on a mission to spotlight innovative, impactful climate-tech startups and investors, and connect with the forefront of climate innovation. 📆 Our first newsletter drops in a couple weeks, packed with stories, deep dives, and an educational section dedicated to understanding the ever-evolving climate space. 🌐 Join the Earth First community and stay informed about our planet's most pressing environmental issues and solutions. Subscribe now! https://lnkd.in/eBGpN5WY 🔗 If you’re building or know incredible people building or investing in the climate space - Let’s connect! 🌿 email: woovin@theearthfirst.co 💼 Are you … 👉 Interested in learning about exciting, impactful startups and investors in the climate space? 👉Inspired by accessible stories and information, but tired of over complicated jargon? 👉Curious about current events, trends, and practical applications in the climate sector? Be part of a community shaping a sustainable tomorrow! Subscribe now! https://lnkd.in/eBGpN5WY Follow us! Earth First #ClimateTech #SustainableInnovation #GreenStartups #GreenInvesting #EarthFirst #Newsletter #EarthFirst

Exciting News! 🚀 Ready to revolutionize your approach to climate tech funding? 🌎 Grab our Green Investment Playbook!⬇️💚 https://lnkd.in/dkm4DUp9 Our Founders' Playbook is the ultimate companion for navigating the climate tech funding landscape with precision and impact. Cut through the noise with our practical guide tailored for founders serious about making an impact.💡 Gain real insights, master storytelling, unveil funding secrets, ace your pitch, and build lasting partnerships. Ready to dive in? Click below and propel your climate tech journey forward. 🍃 #startup #founders #climate #tech #impact #investors

A chat with a climate tech investor and two business frameworks that rhyme: (1) Spray and pray. (2) Land and expand. Here's what I mean... 👇 Climate tech startup investor Sophie Purdom joined my Duke University class, Climate Tech Startups & Investors, this week to share insights about her journey of co-creating Sightline Climate (CTVC) and launching Planeteer Capital (a lead investor on preseed and seed-stage climate tech deals). Two fun business phrases amused the eager students during our fireside chat, so I thought I’d share. (1) Spray and pray An investment strategy in preseed and seed-stage investments where you invest a similar dollar amount in many [e.g., 50-100] startups because it's hard to pick winners this early. Instead, you bet on a vintage or a subsector. It’s like an index fund approach to investing, with relatively little diligence, which might produce less volatile returns. (2) Land and expand A go-to-market strategy where you “land” a client with a very niche product addressing a very focused customer need. Then you build trust, add value, and expand to more products to solve more problems for the same customer. Aka, you can’t be everything to everybody all at once. -- P.S. If you liked this, please give it a repost 🔄. P.P.S. If you found this valuable, you'll love my newsletter. I share actionable insights – climate startups and finance, plus personal growth to become better leaders – with over 16,000 entrepreneurs and investors each week. Subscribe (it's free): https://lnkd.in/gpzAhjkP

Climate tech start-ups in Australia and New Zealand are raising large sums of money thanks to pioneers including Climate Salad. Learn more here about some of the start-ups investors are picking and how they are innovating. #innovation #climatetech #Australia #NewZealand #investment #startups https://lnkd.in/g5sxZKB8

At The Economist we shared about what we do with Atlas, one of the first climate community builder VC with Asian roots and global reach. Since 2022, we have gathered more than 1300+ attendees across 40+ events and overseen more than 200+ climate tech Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A deals through our community. And our newsletter is followed by more than 10,000 people. And our community generated book tome II is coming. A new generation of VCs is emerging in 2024.   🦖 Traditionally, VC funds have been built by either Operators, who know how to create and scale companies, or Financiers who have a technical understanding of finance and access to capital.   It's been nearly impossible to start a VC firm if you didn't come from one of these two paths. But this is changing.   🥚 The 'Community Builder' VC is rising 🦅   Community Builders have been around for a while as the driving force shaping the local startup ecosystems. Examples like My Climate Journey or our Atlas Climate Coalition.   They've been the ones running accelerators, hosting the podcasts, creating content and organizing events. They've shaped vision into resilient startups as they are the first point of contact for anyone (thinking of) starting something new.   They were leveraged as mega-connectors by VCs who stayed close to them to tap into their networks.   They've amplified the visions of founders and unlocked their network to support their growth. Many have championed diversity and elevated diverse success stories.   Founder Institute’s VC Lab manager says that LPs are starting to favor them for their direct and early access to exceptional talent. Community Builder are now building their own funds.   At last, Community Builders are starting to make their own investment decisions and reaping the rewards of their dedication to founders over the years.   The VC landscape is changing. Your local community builder will become your investor.   🔦 Watch us. Watch. This. Space. #climatetech #atlasclimatetechcoalition #atlascapital #climatevc #ecosystem #community

Wise words from Tim Wolters who is the leader of CrowdSolve I have been helping with. If you are, or know of, an #EarlyStageClimateEntrepreneur, have them check out www.crowdsolve.eco as a place to get started for growth help and making the world a better place for all. #FightClimateChange #YouCanMakeADifference

Remarkable Ventures Managing Partner and Co-Founder Jonathan Axelrod on the CREtech Climate Podcast "Investing in Climate Tech for the Built Environment" with host Michael Beckerman Hear Jonathan's thoughts on entrepreneurs being a key to solving the biggest problems, with climate among the biggest the firm sees. ▪ Why the firm launched Remarkable Ventures Climate fund (RVC) as a standalone fund investing in the decarbonization of the enterprise, and the importance of venture investing in the space ▪ The significance of the built environment and electrification ▪ Why NYC is great laboratory to start and grow innovative decarbonization efforts around the built environment 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gKm5A58M

Registration for the KIC GO GLOBAL  Climate Accelerator is now open! As proud alumni of this transformative program, we can attest to the incredible value and opportunities it offers to budding climate-focused startups.  *Program Highlights:* - *Intensive Coaching:* Receive expert guidance from industry leaders and experienced mentors. - *Funding Support:* Gain access to vital financial resources to scale your climate solution. - *Networking Opportunities:* Connect with a global network of entrepreneurs, investors, and partners. - *Market Access:* Expand your reach and enter new markets with strategic support. Joining the KIC GO GLOBAL Climate Accelerator was a game-changer for our startup. We experienced exponential growth, enhanced our business model, and built lasting relationships with key stakeholders in the climate innovation space.  *Why Apply?* - Accelerate your startup's growth - Develop impactful climate solutions - Collaborate with a vibrant community of changemakers Don't miss this chance to take your startup to the next level and make a real difference in the fight against climate change. Register now and be part of a global movement towards a sustainable future.   https://wkf.ms/4bl5gGu