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Another FKA Friday ● 30 June 2023#21

30/6/2023

 
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30 June 2023 #21 818
So here are some stats. We started investing in 2014. Put $6.7m into our first 10 portfolio companies which have so far returned $14.4m in CASH, not book value!

If we were a fund that would put us into carry land ? but we're team players.

We still have Kami, Fuel50, Aisleworx, Datagate, iDefigo and Techion in the race.

Formus from the FKA stable cleaned up with two awards.
See all other winners HERE.

Kiwi stats about startup investments. It has been out for a while. You can download the May report HERE if you've missed it.
In this exclusive masterclass, learn how to drive a higher value, lower risk and less stressful exit or capital raise for your business. This is great value and even free of charge. Check it out and register if this is for you. HERE.
Nothing wrong with a constructive no! Tessa from Woom.care approached us. We said, "A well-articulated mission. We focus on NZ based founders at FKA and you look to be in AUS. However, it may be worth talking to arcangels.co.nz who are super passionate about female founders." She responded not 5 days later, "Thank you for your quick response. We are currently chatting to Sandra from Arcangel, so fingers crossed. Always nice to get an appreciative response!

Suse from AANZ says it'll be a good one. More HERE!

Check this out! HERE.

Also, on LinkedIn and over 2,000 FKA GIFs on GIPHY.

Another FKA Friday ● 23 June 2023#20

23/6/2023

 
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23 June 2023 #20 818
Startups with a clear and tight focus are generally more successful. Broadlume is a great example. Read on!
Founders beware. VCs that don't have funding cannot provide funding, are not VCs. We have seen such "VCs" delay funding rounds for at least three startups. The promise of a full round from a single funder without your terms being challenged may be tempting but you risk burning your startup when you run out of runway.

An investor's support of terms only counts when it is underwritten by money. Taking all the money from a single investor can be dangerous in the long run. A diversified, syndicated cap table makes a startup more resilient for follow-on rounds.

Okay, angel investors make mistakes, miss good ones and pick bad ones. But we learn from that. Founders also learn from mistakes, nothing wrong with that!
Check out this 3d billboard HERE and several more HERE.

Who would have thought that the Government's Startup Advisors' Council which was set up in 2022 would already clash with the IRD's Inland Revenue High-Wealth Individuals Research Project in 2023? HERE


Talking of tax, this article from Ian Taylor has resonated with many.
Also, on LinkedIn and over 2,000 FKA GIFs on GIPHY.

Another FKA Friday ● 16 June 2023#19

16/6/2023

 
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16 June 2023 #19 818
Our June Pitch Night was slated for next Tuesday. Now, we had a pitch and now we didn't. Whilst our fka.nz/OpenDeals have received a good level of funding there are no new deals sufficiently progressed to pitch this month. Next month!

NO Pitch Night in June!

From Tablet. What is best for the economy and society? Andreessen is one in a new class of tech wealth that includes Elon Musk and Peter Thiel whose political vision and methods conflict both with dot-com tech titans like Bill Gates and Pierre Omidyar.
Wed 26 July, 6-8pm, Unleash Space, 20 Symonds Street, Auckland CBD • tickets!
Showcasing 6 startups. This is where StretchSense #1, Kami #2, PowerbyProxi and many other great companies came from.

From Wired. Geoffrey Hinton, who is widely considered one of the most important and influential figures in AI, left his job at Google in April in order to speak about his newfound concern over the prospect of increasingly capable AI running amok.

The 2023 SaaS  Party is getting closer.  21 June, Wellington, Be there!

SaaS Man Serge has posted his expectations for the party. Work hard, play hard!

Marketing, Kiwi SaaS companies, learnings of the last 5 years. See the report!

Next to all the SaaS partying some real results are being produced!

Haha, some might say mental Rudi but this HERE is 10 Years of Rudimental!

Taste a sound bite.

Also, on LinkedIn and over 2,000 FKA GIFs on GIPHY.

Another FKA Friday ● 9 June 2023#18

9/6/2023

 
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9 June 2023 #18 818
Haha,  not actually the final payout but the 1st tranche of the escrow payout is expected shortly. It was in December 2020 when Moxion #10 was acquired by Autodesk. A proud moment to see one of our fledgling startups reaching maturity and leaving the nest. Hugh and his team keep driving innovation for filmmakers!
Also, great news for the shareholders of Kami #02 has come in overnight. Shareholders, watch out for your update if you haven't spotted it yet.
The vast majority of funded companies start their lives as unsustainable engines. They burn cash in pursuit of a future economic engine that will spit off cash. But as capital became more, and more plentiful it has enabled unsustainability to persist for much longer. When the inevitable weight of business gravity smashes into the face of an unsuspecting subsidy darling, it can get ugly.

A GREAT READ! About Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, and more...

Scott Kennedy's list will be helpful to many founders. It is nearly complete but there are many differences between the list entries for founders to discover.

Girl in a jacket
There is a lot of talk about flywheels in the startup world. We captured this one on video for you. A not so serious take but boy does it work! Watch it!
Nuanced advice from Mitali Purohit on "Raising capital in the current environment".
In March 2018 Black Pearl Mail pitched at $7.9m premoney. We did not proceed.

Nearly 5 years later, In December 2022 Black Pearl Group listed on the NZX with a capitalisation of $20m. The current cap is $15m. The company told shareholders it had raised $1.8m, whilst revenue to March was $1.6m ($1.4m ARR) with a net loss of $7.3m.


Only in NZ can a company list on the stock market at such an early stage. It is tough raising capital from VCs but it may be just as hard on the stock market. A small-cap IPO may not deliver substantial liquidity for early-stage investors.
The 2023 SaaS  Party is getting closer.  21 June, Wellington, Be there!
Also, on LinkedIn and over 2,000 FKA GIFs on GIPHY.

Another FKA Friday ● 1 June 2023#17

2/6/2023

 
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2 June 2023 #17 818
Heath is a Flying Kiwi Angel with a day job at AWS. He is a great judge of a startup's activity on the ground and in the cloud, such as Hectre. Heath is a great fan!
This one is for migrant founders, next Thursday, 18:00 MORE HERE!
Terry's world is turning fast. He has already collected more than 80% of the $500k he is seeking. This includes some money from FKA's cohort of exited founders—makes the money go around! Hear it from Terry!
Teachers and parents are in despair! See what the team at Kami recommends.
To be clear, Kami's imminent shareholder update will be prepared by real people, NOT ChatGPT
Cornelius is a Flying Kiwi with a day job in digital marketing at Catchi. The Dutch love a good cheese, oh, and broccoli. So it is little wonder that Cornelius wants to bring his know-how to the Board of Vince and act as investor rep.
Simple really, see the video HERE. Use it for your pitch deck at your peril.  As ChatGPT will not help you with Q&A. 
ADI.Clinic was very green this week, ESGphile.

We talked with Carbontrail, Zilch and Marsden Metals about calculating carbon footprint, EVs and recycling construction waste.

The 'A t-shirt from every startup man' aka Serge van Dam is calling for the 2023 SaaS  Party.  21 June, Wellington, see more!
Nelson Gray brings more colour to the world of angel investing than his name would suggest. Turns out he is one of the readers of this newsletter from the Northern Hemisphere as he volunteered in a recent email. Not all about money!
Thank you, Jenny... RE-POSTS are welcome!
1,000+ subscribed readers. Maybe not just because of the GIFs?
A big thank you to Debra Hall and Katheren Leitner who proofread the newsletter for spelling, grammar and tone every week—between midnight and the time of publishing.
Also, on LinkedIn and over 2,000 FKA GIFs on GIPHY.
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