Seed funding for startups requires a different approach than most venture capital firms currently offer. Here’s how we are different.
We focus on a different stage than venture capital. We are a boutique firm that actually gets our hands dirty with the founders. While venture capital investors can pick and choose as many opportunities to invest in as they want, their only real investment is the money they put forward. Maybe they make an introduction here and there to give their founders some networking leads, but beyond that, these investors are hands-off.
Our approach is more hands-on—because we have experience as founders ourselves, with several successful startups in our portfolio, we know the mistakes that 90 percent of founders make. When we decide to invest our time and money to help a project get off the ground, we come in to make sure that the founders don’t make these mistakes. We prevent the biggest mistakes by getting heavily involved, training the entrepreneurs we work with over the course of a year until we think they are ready to take over. Think of it like training wheels for startups.
Seed Funding for Startups at the Ideation Stage
This is what sets us apart. We provide seed funding for startups that are at the ideation stage—founders come to us with concepts to see if we can help them execute them. Anyone looking to get funding for their startup knows that you can’t even talk to a venture capital firm without first cementing your KPIs, knowing how you are going to make money, and knowing what your cost per acquisition is.
A lot of great ideas die this way, not because they can’t achieve the numbers VCs want, but because they are never given the chance. Without the opportunity to show that they have the ability to get their KPIs where they need to be, they get stuck. We think that allowing startups based on good ideas the opportunity to breathe is essential.
Getting seed funding for startups can be a difficult task. A private equity approach may be what you need to finally get your idea off the ground.
How We Choose Our Projects
Knowing whether a startup is going to succeed is a difficult task. Venture capital firms want to be reassured that investing is going to be a sure thing, but some startups can’t get to that stage without that initial investment and guidance. We choose our projects by evaluating the founder and their idea and determining whether we think they have what it takes. We’re looking for that “it factor.”
In many cases, the founders we choose have never scaled a business before. They may be successful in their own right, but maybe they have no marketing experience. Maybe they don’t know how to acquire customers or build a funnel or choose the right CRM.
This is where we come in. We believe that if given the know-how and the ability to execute, their ideas will seek light a lot faster and in a more beneficial, vibrant way.
Ready to Get Started? Learn More about How We Provide Seed Funding for Startups
At Open Access Ventures, our approach to seed funding for startups takes much more into account than what we think we can get out of the deal. Want to discuss your idea? Get in touch with us today to schedule a meeting.