Focus: We look for companies that are differentiated and defensible through data and technology and focus on platform plays. Business models we like: API/Data Platforms, Infrastructure, Marketplaces/Networks, B2B Vertical SaaS, Consumer Subscription with science/technology edge. Sectors we gravitate towards: Anything API first, Bio/Genomics, Digital health, Frontier tech (preferably software/enablement layer, but would do hardware too), Sustainability, AI/ML applications, VR/AR, Robotics.
Pitch Advice: Send a video pitch along with the deck and/or get an intro.
Check Size: We lead with $300K - $1.2M check sizes, one and done rounds.
Focus: We invest across categories, but always Pre-Seed. Pre traction, pre obvious and pre product phase.
Pitch Advice: Literally nothing is too early for Afore. Thinking about starting something on the side or need to tweak the product or GTM idea? DM me on Twitter @anamitra or email Anamitra@afore.VC.
Pitch Advice: A pitch deck is always helpful to guide the conversation, to make sure the entrepreneur can address key points and drive the conversation.
Check Size: Pre-Seed rounds of $1M or less with a check of $250K - $500K.
Focus: We are a sector-agnostic fund and we are very comfortable investing in pre-launch and pre-product companies. The only exception is that we don’t invest in deep tech or hard tech companies.
Pitch Advice: We make 30-40 new investments per year, so we are always looking to meet new teams. We read every submission that comes through our website and I’m also open to direct cold outreach.
Focus: We focus on fintech, but everything is fintech ?
Pitch Advice: Just reach out - nothing is too early! We are founders and operators, and we’ve invested in nearly 200 companies, so we love to help founders think through ideas and develop strategies, and learn what’s worked and what hasn’t. Let’s build!
Focus: We invest in the future of how we live, work, and play online and love new kinds of end user facing products, services and experiences enabled by frontier technologies. Current areas include foundation and applied AI, crypto media and metaverses.
Pitch Advice: Raising money can be a challenge – just remember it’s not the end. It’s the beginning, it’s the starting point. Now you have to build.
Focus: We invest in startups that improve work -- and knowledge work in particular.
Pitch Advice: Be yourself. Trust is important to us. We don't only want to hear the happy stuff. We want to hear the real stuff. We want founders to show us behind the curtain. We typically invest in people who have this level of transparency. More on what we look for in our open-sourced operating manual at bloombergbeta.com.
Focus: Enterprise/B2B and Frontier Tech (+ some SaaS)... We’re looking for unconventional frontier tech opportunities, and favor deep technical moats and opportunities with strong potential for product driven network effects. We don't invest in consumer.
Pitch Advice: Pitch me on your big hairy audacious goal and just how big the opportunity/market you're tackling is. For me, a pitch stands apart with a crisp, well-thought out problem statement and clear "problem founder fit".
Pitch Advice: Be ready to talk about what is the secret that you have and how that led you to want to build this company and dedicate a significant part of your life to it.
Focus: We invest in product-obsessed teams on day 0, in companies that tend to be tech-heavy capital efficient software. We are not thesis-driven, but thematic in nature, and our themes can be found on our site.
Pitch Advice: Check out our operating manual! Feel free to send us an email directly to meet :-)
Focus: We're all about building a new backbone for how companies work, trade and transact. We specialize in B2B fintech in the US and Canada, from core infrastructure & payments to application-layer specialized SaaS driving market expansion via financial services.
Pitch Advice: Don't believe people giving you pitch advice, just put your heart and mind in telling your story in a way that feels right to you and stands out as top 1%. Spacecadet can help :)
Focus: We lead pre-seed rounds in software/platform/infrastructure builders reinventing how industries operate and business is done.
Pitch Advice: There's not too early for us, just reach out - I look at every inbound. My advice re cold pitch emails: Avoid any jargon or industry buzzwords - explain what differentiated value you bring to your customers in a way my grandma could understand it.