"When we launched our first fundraise I had zero experience in the art of raising capital. Looking back after reading this book-it answers all the questions I wish I had had answers to. Raising money is an art form and experience that like any athlete requires training and refining."-Alex Pall, Founder of The Chainsmokers & Mantis Venture Capital
Raise Early Stage Venture Capital is a quick, tactical guide to startup fundraising that will save you time, money, and heartbreak.
Fundraising is one of Silicon Valley's best kept secrets-kept by a boy's club of mostly privileged heterosexual white men. Raising venture capital is famously difficult, and even more challenging if you are a woman or minority founder. Industry data shows that women-founded companies receive roughly 2%, and Black founders receive approximately 1% of total venture capital dollars. Helping more women and minority founders get access to capital is critically important to building a more equitable society and thriving economy.
From the globally-renowned technology entrepreneur and angel investor Hayley Leibson, debuts the world's first guide to startup fundraising for women and minority founders. In this actionable playbook, Raise Early Stage Venture Capital demystifies and democratizes the world of startup fundraising and offers step-by-step guidance to help more women and minority founders successfully raise venture capital for their businesses.
Hayley came to Silicon Valley as a complete outsider-no flashy Stanford or Harvard degrees, no prior work history at Apple or Google, and didn't come from a well-connected family. Through grit and perseverance, Hayley became an Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed-backed founder and her companies have raised over $30 million and are valued at over $125 million. She's a Y Combinator alumni, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Consumer Technology, and her work has appeared in ABC, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Harper's Bazaar, TechCrunch, and many more media outlets.