Pitching to an Investor with Gary Tomchuk from Evolutionary Ventures

Startup Investor Discussion Preparation

Mary and Gary discussed sharing relevant links and contact information, including Gary's LinkedIn profile, Evolutionary Ventures website, and his role as California representative for Investor Circle. Gary mentioned his work with impact investors and his involvement in a round table discussion about what investors want to hear from startups. The conversation then transitioned into the start of an interview for "Stuck? Time to Improv," where Mary welcomed Gary and introduced the topic of startups talking to investors.

Startup Funding Key Considerations

Gary discussed key considerations for startups seeking funding, emphasizing that investors focus primarily on team composition and potential returns rather than just the business concept. He highlighted that a strong team with relevant experience in product, industry, and company building is essential, as a good team can pivot effectively while a bad team can ruin even a good idea. Gary also introduced his three-legged stool model for building stable companies, which includes product/service, marketing, and business structure components.

Impact Company Strategy Discussion

Gary discussed how impact company founders often focus too much on the social mission rather than balancing all three pillars of people, planet, and profit. He explained that part of his work involves determining whether impact companies should operate as for-profits or non-profits, and mentioned an upcoming webinar about using donor-advised funds (DAFs) to fund businesses, including for-profit entities.

Angel Investment Group Interview

Mary interviewed Gary Tomchuk from Investor Circle, an angel investment group that has been active for 34 years and invested over $300 million. Gary explained that Investor Circle focuses on pre-seed, seed, and Series A rounds with individual investments typically ranging from $20,000 to $200,000, and they maintain an 85% funding rate for companies presenting on their monthly calls. Gary emphasized that investors want to see traction, team in place, MVP development progress, and evidence of first money invested, particularly from founders who have skin in the game or are working with investors.

https://youtu.be/I4q6ERvRE8M

Contact Gary Tomchuk https://www.linkedin.com/in/garytomchuk/ www.evolutionaryventures.com www.investors-circle.org impactentrepneur.com

Book a 15 minute synergy call with Mary Scott at https://calendly.com/businessriff/15min