Investors know that an early-stage revenue model is likely to change over time—but they still want to hear how you’re thinking about it. Underscore VC partner Lily Lyman explains what to focus on a Seed-stage pitch.

From experience, to attitude, to strengths and weaknesses—Underscore VC investor Sooah Cho shares what Seed investors are looking for in a founding startup team.

When you file your Form D with the SEC, it becomes public record. Get your ducks in a row before you get scooped. Underscore VC marketing director Devin Nash shares how to announce your Seed funding.

Underscore VC partner Lily Lyman provides an overview of Seed investing from three perspectives: founders, venture investors, and limited partners. She also shares information to help founders determine if they should raise venture capital.

From scripting to practice to ordering slides, Underscore VC partner Chris Gardner shares best practices for how to pitch your startup.

Underscore VC partner Chris Gardner explains how to describe the problem you’re solving, the solution you’re building, and the customer pain that it addresses.

What’s the most convincing way to measure your market opportunity? Underscore VC partner Richard Dulude shares best practices for how to calculate market size.

There’s still plenty of work to do once you get a term sheet. Underscore VC operating partner Jimmy Orsillo shares tips for negotiating term sheets, working with legal counsel, and closing the deal.

How much traction do you really need to raise a Seed round? Underscore VC investor Brian Devaney shares what investors are looking for in a team, market, and product.

It can be challenging for a founder to pitch a huge vision for a business—while also staying focused on making progress in the here and now. Underscore VC investor Sooah Cho explains how to strike the right balance in your pitch.

Underscore VC partner Richard Dulude shares how to vet an investor at a firm and personal level, so you can streamline your fundraising process and make the best choice for your business.

How do you determine Seed round valuations? Underscore VC operating partner James Orsillo shares an overview of valuation and offers tips for how to value a startup for Seed funding.

What should founders expect during venture capital due diligence? Underscore VC investor Brian Devaney walks through the process and shares how to best prepare for it.

Every business has competition—even if it’s not direct. Underscore VC partner Chris Gardner outlines how to talk about your competitive landscape in a Seed funding pitch.

How much money should I raise in a Seed round? Underscore VC operating partner Jimmy Orsillo shares advice to help founders answer this question.

In June 2021, Rana el Kaliouby, the former Co-Founder and CEO of Affectiva, the creator of emotion AI, successfully sold her company to Smart Eye, the leading provider of human insight AI. Despite many external indicators of success, Rana’s experience of going through an exit was deeply complex. In this interview with Underscore VC's Co-Founding Partner Michael Skok, she gives a vulnerable, unfiltered account of what it was like to sell her company.

“Even the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step…” This Lao Tzu quote is easy to relate to but sometimes figuring out that first step is the hardest thing for would-be entrepreneurs looking to start their business. This workshop helps you determine your roadmap to success.

Underscore VC has enjoyed collaborating with innovators on their planned ventures and helping them explore their value propositions. However, many entrepreneurs lose out, due to never truly articulating a compelling value proposition. Establishing a substantive value proposition is critical if you want to start the journey from your “idea” to building a successful company. In this workshop, we explain our framework for one of the first stages of creating a new venture: defining, evaluating, and building a compelling value proposition.

You’ve developed a great product, but how do you build a successful company around that product? Regardless of product innovation, it can take several years to build a company. Markets change! In addition to investing in R&D, you need to prove market acceptance—then repeat and scale through sales and marketing. This workshop offers a framework designed to help founders and entrepreneurs bridge the product-company gap and includes the best practices for 1. developing foundations, 2. designing to fit, 3. architecting to attract.