Navigating the World of Startup Funding: Insights from EquityMatch.co Pitch Events
The recent live Pitch Event was successfully held by EquityMatch.
- (1888PressRelease) February 05, 2024 - Pitch Events by EquityMatch are where aspiring entrepreneurs showcase their innovative ideas. Max, the founder and CEO of EquityMatch, serves as the moderator of the events, assisting founders in finding their ideal match for startup funding. The 98th event was being presented. The challenging fundraising, conducted by EquityMatch, aims to make it easier for founders. Your innovative ideas can make you the next unicorn.
Max reiterated that EquityMatch doesn’t charge a single penny to facilitate these events. He also mentioned that they are ready to provide advisory assistance should anyone need it. Join the EquityMatch.co pitch events for engaging discussions every Tuesday and Thursday, streaming live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. GMT.
Max introduced the new guest investor panelist Erez Lahav from Israel and invited him to brief the founders about himself.
Erez says he is with Capital Ventures, a company based in Canada that primarily invests in software companies. So far, he has invested in eleven companies, he says. Erez also mentions that he served in the Israel Defense Force some twenty years ago in the tech intelligence unit.
Pitching started with Matthew Morel & Jonathan Morrissey, two co-founders of “SharkGate”.
“SharkGate” a platform in the Cyber security sector is based in Helsinki Finland. Seeking €2-3 million in seed round.
Matthew continued with the pitching. He said, "SharkGate" is a leading web security brand that is making the internet a safe place. He mentioned that the product is already generating revenue and making profits. Additionally, he highlighted that their brand has won awards. The brand is 100% owned by the founders.
Matthew added that there are roughly 2 billion websites globally, and approximately 20 million sites are infected by malware as a result of cyber-attacks, costing around $10.5 trillion. He continued to explain that they use AI machine learning to fix and protect the websites of their clients.
“The addressable market value is $232 billion, and the available market is $23 billion," he says. He also stated that the client base is growing, which includes entrepreneurial startups, small & medium businesses, large corporations, and government institutes. Matthew explained that 60% of the clients are on a paid service, and 40% of them subscribe to a premium service. The client base is purely through organic growth.
Continuing he mentioned that the business model is B2B and B2C and another stream of B2B2C.
The investment is sought to enhance the marketing and R&D for new products.
During the Q&A session, Erez asked what they really sell and to whom they would approach their sales efforts. Jonathan replied in detail. Jonathan also explained the difference between the free and paid services and Matthew added a few points on how they encourage clients to upgrade their packages.
Erez concluded by stating that it is crucial for them to find the right partner to scale.
Moving on to 2nd Pitching, Max invited Toni Perala and Melina Sundell, co-founders of “ANZEN.NET”.
“ANZEN.NET” is a Finnish-based company in the Autonomous Mobility sector. Seeking €150, 000 in the Pre-seed round.
Toni is the CEO/CTO and introduced himself, mentioning his background in Autonomous Mobility research and computer science. He is also actively involved in software development.
The Co-founder, Melina, holds the position of CIO and stated that her speciality lies in electrical engineering and space technology.
Toni, continuing with the pitch, explains the development of the autonomous mobility industry in the last 10 years and the drawbacks prevalent, along with the unresolved issues. He mentions that the market size is over 40 billion in the US alone and has a steady growth of 35%.
Comparing an autonomous car to a computer on wheels, he highlights that the information detected and shared is minimal compared to the actual available data in the surroundings of a vehicle. Capturing data from cars in the vicinity and the infrastructure under any given traffic scenario can provide assistance to vehicles in navigation, object detection, and more.
This is software-agnostic, which can be seamlessly integrated into the onboard system or even accessed through a smartphone.
The product is currently in the prototyping phase and is expected to launch the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) by the 2nd quarter of 2024. The business model is initially B2B, with plans to later extend to B2C. The initial targeted markets are the US, Europe, and Asia.
Investment is sought to diversify services and enhance the customer base.
Erez inquired about the scope of the project, questioning whether the software serves as a complete replacement or an added feature. Toni provided a detailed explanation, concluding that it is indeed an added feature.
Responding to Erez, Toni conveyed that the product is currently in the prototype phase and is not generating any revenue. The funds are required for hardware enhancements and operational expenses.
The 3rd and final pitching of the day was by Iako Jikia Co-founder & CEO “Helio.AI”, serving the Human Resources Services. Based in Georgia and seeking $ 230,000 in a seed round.
Straight into pitching, Iako said that “Helio.AI” is an all-in-one recruiting solution. Since the launch, within 3 months, they have on board more than 30 big companies in Georgia. She explains various problems faced by recruiting companies, stating that each wrong hiring costs companies more than $5,000.
“Helio.AI” is the AI-assisted solution to find the best fit for organizations. She explained “We do personality profiles which is an important part for us. We have a game which has science behind that and based on just five or seven minutes of play company gets the candidate's personal profile and the soft skills and the behavioral “
Closing job openings within about seven days and increasing retention can enable targeted companies to save over a million dollars a year. The business model is subscription-based, aiming for a revenue of $100 million in five years. The next milestone is to reach $40,000 in monthly recurring revenue in the next 18 months, for which investment is sought. She concluded with high regard for her team members.
In Q&A; In response to the go-to-market action, Iako mentioned that they directly approach the CEOs of big companies. Additionally, she mentioned that they have partnered with the two largest banks in Georgia, and their support assists in onboarding small and medium enterprises.
Further in her response, she mentioned that their target is to capture the entire Georgian market before expanding outside Georgia, and the need to increase the sales team also requires funds. Erez was also very cryptic about the targets mentioned in the presentation, to which Iako explained her position and plans.
Max invited Iako to continue with the elevator pitch and reminded her to address the audience and the investors within 20 seconds.
Iako “ ... It took us like three months to go live from scratch and it took us three months to be revenue positive. We are flexible, visionary and passionate. We will go through all the obstacles”
Toni about “ANZEN.NET”; “We think our case is quite unique. The value proposition is very high. This is a very unique investment opportunity for rapidly growing markets for any Venture Capitals or Angel investors.”
Matthew on “SharkGate”; “We are a profitable business. AI and machine learning technology are really making a difference in changing the industry for the better. We are revolutionizing the industry and we are ready to grow”
Adding Jonathan “We got a solution that does work. So we know we can win on this “
Upon receiving the invitation, Erez thanked everyone. He mentioned that not everyone has paid attention to the go-to-market concept, emphasizing its significance for the success of all products.
Max closed the session with his usual pleasantries.
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