1. Michelle E. Messina, CEO Explora International mmessina@explorainternational.com Tel: +1 408.981.4801 @memessina mmessina@explorainternational.com Silicon Valley Ecosystem & the Fundraising Process

2. Uniquely Organized to Support Startups

3. Change is Constant

4. Startups Need Lots of Help

5. Help can be More Important than Money

6. Nestgsv diagram

7. Entrepreneur = Super Hero + Risk Taker

8. The Standard is Really, Really High

9. 40% of US Venture Capital in California or ~$20B USD

10. Socialize Your Ideas to Improve it

11. Be Transparent. Within Reason.

12. Listen to Everyone. Follow No One.

13. Ideas Are Cheap. Execution is Priceless.

14. Diverse Teams = Better Companies

15. Female Economic Power

16. Comfort with Extreme Uncertainty

17. Organize for Speed and Intensity

18. Be Global. From Day 1.

21. Watch for Repeating Patterns

22. Can the Company Scale?

23. Go Big or Go Home

24. Fail Early. To Succeed Sooner

25. It Takes a Long Time to Build Value

26. Driving Experience Required

27. Serendipity & Luck Have a Role, too!

28. Gravity is in Full Effect

29. Fear is both Natural and a Catalyst

30. Paralysis in not Natural

31. Pay it Forward

32. US “Presence” Required If Seeking US Funds

33. VC’s WILL Have Say

34. Funding in 18-24 Month Chunks

35. VC’s Pan for Gold

36. What Investors Look For

37. Compelling Story

38. Low or Manageable Risk

39. It’s Not the Technology; It’s About the

40. Market Validation

41. Great Extended Team

42. Your Credibility

43. Timing

44. Momentum

45. Patterns

46. Milestones

47. Build Value

48. Fundraising is Fulltime Job

49. Fundraising Tools

50. The 10 Slides

51. Contact Information

52. Problem

54. Who is My Customer?

55. Distribution And Support

56. Business Model

57. Who are the Competitors and How are You Different?

58. Execution over the Idea

59. What are the Milestones?

61. 1. Cover slideCompany info—name, contact, email 2. ProblemCustomer’s problem—in economic terms 3. SolutionYour solution: how & why it works, the value to customer 4. MarketWho the market is & how large it is 5. DistributionHow do you sell? Direct, channels, service, support 6. Business ModelHow do you make money? 7. Competition Who else solves problem & how they compare against you 8. TeamKey players, relevant background, why you are the right team 9. MilestonesWhat financeable results $ will you achieve 10. FinancialsHow big, how fast, cash needed, key assumption s The 10 Slide Presentation

62. Raising Capital Top Ten List

63. Not About Product or Technology

64. Easier to Raise $ When its Not Need

65. Tell a Compelling Story

66. Know Your Audience

67. Mark Twain Said, “If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter.”

69. Milestones

70. Not About Numbers. It’s about Assumptions

71. Find Points of Leverage

72. It is a Very, Very Small World

73. 3 Most Important Rules Of Fundraising

75. Don’t Run out of Money

77. Do Something That Matters

78. Now….Enjoy the Journey

79. Michelle E. Messina, CEO mmessina@explorainternational.com Tel: +1 408.981.4801 Skype: michellemessina Twitter @memessina