Evolution of Pre-Seed | Amber Illig and Martin Tobias | The Forum [Video]

Follow Amber: https://twitter.com/amberillig
Follow Martin: https://twitter.com/martingtobias

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FUNDRAISING STAGES DEFINED (ANGEL/PRE-SEED/SEED/SERIES A):
https://incisive.vc/2022/12/23/fundraising-stages-defined-angel-pre-seed-seed-series-a/

About Amber:
Amber started her career as an engineer at Eli Lilly and Delta Faucet, she quickly rose through the ranks and took on operations leadership roles at some of the world’s most innovative companies, including Apple, Snap, Cruise, and Atmos.
In 2019, Amber’s passion for investing led her to found The Council, a consortium of all-female operators, where she served as a General Partner. Since then, she has been an active angel investor, focusing on early-stage startups disrupting traditional industries.
The Council Fund, a $5 million debut fund targeting pre-seed and seed-stage startups in the Vertical SaaS, Fintech, and Healthcare industries. Through The Council Fund, Amber aims to provide the support and resources needed for founders to transform traditional industries and create lasting change.

About Martin:
Martin is the founder of Incisive Ventures, a Pre-Seed Fund based in Seattle, Martin invests in technology companies that are focused on reducing friction at scale. Leveraging his extensive network built over years as an angel investor in 60+ companies, including 4 unicorns that have secured $2.5B+ in follow-on financing, Martin brings a unique perspective and expertise to the companies he invests in.
Martin is also an active angel investor with over 250 companies in his portfolio. His investment experience extends to his role as a venture partner at a major VC firm and as a limited partner in over a dozen VC funds. Additionally, he is the Founder of Element8, a leading Angel network that connects investors with promising early-stage companies.
As a three-time venture-backed CEO with a background at Microsoft and Accenture, Martin has successfully raised over $500M in funding for his own companies, including two IPOs. His operational experience as an entrepreneur, combined with his deep understanding of early-stage technology companies, enables him to provide invaluable guidance and support to founders as they navigate the challenges of building transformative businesses.

Pre-seed funding is the earliest stage of venture capital financing, occurring before seed funding. It involves investing in startups during their initial development phases when founders are still refining their business models and validating product concepts. Investors in this stage include founders, angel investors, and early-stage venture capital funds, providing capital and guidance to help startups transition from ideation to product development.
Pre-seed investments are relatively modest, covering early expenses such as hiring key team members and developing prototypes. While pre-seed funding carries high risks due to the uncertainty of a startup’s success, it enables investors to potentially reap substantial returns if the startup grows into a successful business. Thorough due diligence is essential for investors to assess a startup’s viability before committing capital.

That is what we discuss in The Forum today.
Evolution of Pre-Seed.

Enjoy!