Startups: 5 Ways to Raise Money Thinking up an original, innovative, and productive idea is only half the battle. Raising the money to get your idea off the ground is a huge challenge in and of itself. To make it easier, this presentation will give you 5 great ways to raise capital. Friends and Family It’s likely that your friends and family has been exposed to your idea from the moment you thought of it. Get them excited about your idea if they aren’t already. Try to present tangible research, prototypes, etc. this will make them more likely to contribute. Crowdfunding Crowdfunding relies on the community to fund projects they are interested in. There are many crowdfunding platforms to choose from: Kickstarter is one of the earliest crowdfunding platforms, and therefore has a high financing potential. It is not for big businesses, charities, personal needs, or causes. IndieGoGo is suitable for almost any project including music, personal needs, charities, hobbies, etc. Crowdfunder is specifically for investing, and therefore features an expansive network of investors. This platform is for formal business ideas. RocketHub is for creative ventures; it is unique because it helps connect entrepreneurs with promotion and marketing specialists to achieve greater success. Crowdrise is fantastic for charity and causes. The community is eager to aid anybody in need, and to fund charitable projects. Fundable is the largest business crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to helping companies raise capital. Venture Capitalists Venture Capitalists invest in startups hoping for them to succeed, and get a solid return. Below are some of the biggest venture capital firms:

Andreessen Horowitz is mainly focused in technology startups, and has invested in Twitter. New Enterprise Associates invests in industry, and takes a startup from early development through growth. Google Ventures focuses on internet, software, hardware, biotech, and health startups. KPCB is interested in early-stage investment in digital, science, green tech, and internet startups. Lightspeed Venture Partners invests during early and expansion stages. This company invests in any and all ventures. Strategic Investors Strategic investors focus on connecting companies to marketing, sales, money, knowledge, etc. to give the startup long-term prospects. Below are the top 5 strategic investor companies: T-Venture invests in networking, digital, and IT companies; it is a subsidiary of T-Mobile. Chevron Technology Ventures is interested in biofuels, and emerging energy, and startups which would benefit Chevron’s operations. Nokia Growth Partners focuses on mobile phones, tablets, wearable, connected cars, and smart homes. Motorola Ventures is a subsidiary of Motorola which invests in communication ventures. Intel Capital focuses on startups related to the technology sector; especially technologies which help Intel accomplish their goals. Find the Right Co-Founder Getting a co-founder which will add to your venture in a significant way will reduce costs. For example, if you’re a businessperson, then you might want to get an engineer, tech guy, artist, etc. co-founder depending on what kind of startup you want to create. This will save you money in the long run, as you will not need to pay outside sources from your starting capital.

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Christos Pittis Premium Educator, Entrepreneur, Business & Tech http://www.christospittis.com/