How to Raise Your First Round – VC Tips from Khaled Talhouni

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/d1/87/e1/d187e1c4-5cfc-f218-a048-5633506d7fbc/mza_8283646962917140345.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

The MENA Startup Show

Samer Bejjani

11 episodes

1 week ago

Where founders, investors & experts share their authentic experience building and growing MENA startups. 🔍 No fluff, no sugar-coating, just real conversations about the actual challenges faced by MENA startups and the true reasons behind their growth and success with the people building in our region. 🎬 Hosted by: Samer Bejjani — a founder, growth marketer, and angel investor with 15 years of experience in building startups. Currently bootstrapping and scaling a profitable startup studio and helping 100+ MENA startups grow at Growth Levers. 📧 For feedback: hello@themenastartupshow.com

Entrepreneurship

Business

RSS

All content for The MENA Startup Show is the property of Samer Bejjani and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Entrepreneurship

Business

https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/41703438/41703438-1721846366543-52f159b3e360b.jpg

How to Raise Your First Round – VC Tips from Khaled Talhouni – E6 pt. 2

The MENA Startup Show

19 minutes 48 seconds

10 months ago

How to Raise Your First Round – VC Tips from Khaled Talhouni – E6 pt. 2

Khaled Talhouni, Managing Partner at Nuwa Capital, shares invaluable insights into how VCs assess founders and startups, particularly in the early stages. In part 2 of this 3-part series, Khaled discusses how and when to approach VCs, how to create FOMO, and the essential elements for a standout pitch.

Related Episodes: How MENA VCs Evaluate Founders – Insights from Khaled Talhouni – E6 pt. 1: https://youtu.be/_LW4aiggEuw Part 3, Lessons and insights in the VC space: Coming Soon! Key takeaways: - Founders should focus on understanding the problem, product roadmap, and market potential before approaching VCs.

- It's important to match your fundraising approach to the stage and focus of the VC.

- A warm intro from someone in the ecosystem, ideally a founder you’ve worked with, is the best way to get VCs' attention.

- If rejected, founders should send periodic updates and keep VCs in the loop on progress.

- To create FOMO, a strong product, right timing, and the right sector must align naturally.

- Raising capital should focus on what’s needed at the stage rather than over-optimizing for valuation.

- Having a clear and concise pitch deck that hits all key points is essential for early-stage fundraising.

- Demonstrating real traction or industry expertise often outweighs the deck’s aesthetics.

- Founders should avoid over-raising and focus on only the amount needed for the next milestone.

- Investors expect founders to be aligned with the goal of building businesses that are both impactful and profitable. Chapters: 00:00 Khaled Talhouni, Managing Partner at Nuwa Capital (Part 2) 00:23 How do I know I'm ready to raise as a first time founder? 01:42 When is the right time to apply for VC? 02:55 Best advice for founders ready to apply? 04:57 Do VCs ever chase founders? Is there FOMO? 06:18 How long does it take to raise early stage VC? 08:42 What makes a great pitch deck? 12:40 Common founder mistakes when raising VC? 15:50 What should founders understand about term sheets? 17:38 "Investing isn't Altruism" – Founder misconceptions Links: What makes for a great founder? – https://www.nuwacapital.io/insights/what-makes-for-a-great-founder Nuwa Capital Portfolio – https://www.nuwacapital.io/portfolio