What Do Investors Expect From Startups?
Why do investors invest in startups? What motivates them to get venture capital? Of course, they are not guardian angels who come down from heaven to realize your entrepreneurial dream. So, what can persuade them to give up the money? What signs are they looking for to start the seed investment process? What do they expect from startups? Let’s look at it from an investor’s perspective.
- Unique creativity
The public is often excited about new ideas, and investors know that this excitement often translates into returns. Investors want your ideas to stand out. No innovation required. It may just be a unique feature of your product. This is your competitive advantage over your competitors’ products. If your idea meets unsatisfied demand and has market potential, you will be concerned by investors. This is the first step in your search for venture capital.
- Enthusiastic
When you talk about your business seed, investors will actively look for the flash in your eyes. This is a signal that you have the motivation to complete your work. This is due to the founders’ confidence in their own plans, and their expectation that they have enough freedom to believe that they will succeed. But the most important thing is that, even if they are rejected by investors several times, they are willing to go ahead without fear of difficulties.
- Reliability
So you have passed the stage of friends and family, and you are looking for serious full-time investors. Now learn how to think like an investor. You wouldn’t expect to hear that. However, how much purchasing power you have among your friends and family, and how many of them have enough confidence in your startup company to contribute to their financial situation, all of these can show your reliability. Especially when you start asking around. Remember, your friends and family know you best, as do potential investors.
- Research
Investors may always be unfamiliar with your ideas, your industry, or your field. How can you persuade them? Smart investors put their time and energy into a lot of research and data, especially in areas that are unfamiliar to them. This is where startups usually start to raise funds. Extensive research and qualitative data can help investors make effective decisions. This is a wise investment. In this way, you can not only prove the profitability of your enterprise to investors, but also reflect your dedication to entrepreneurship.
- Clarity
Investors should know how deep they will invest in your business. Keep your intentions and plans clear. From their standpoint, how much participation is required? What is their timetable? What is the expected rate of return? Is there a clear termination strategy? These are common questions that investors expect answers to, so it is strongly recommended that investors have a very clear plan in front of them.
- Facts
Investors expect a lot of bonds. A solid business model, mature business, perfect bookkeeping and financial data are all investors’ expectations for startups. So take your records seriously, keep your team consistent, and your indicators only reflect growth.
- Answer
Remember, if investors invest in your startup and go deep into your business, they always have problems. They hope to get satisfactory answers when they have questions and feel at ease about their investment. It sounds painful for entrepreneurs to let others take part in their own business, but please remember that if you can get the right answer every time, investors will feel relieved. When they begin to trust you more, there will be fewer and fewer questions.
These are the seven key points investors seek in the initial evaluation.