1.
© 2020, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Fundraising Essentials
YAU, Roland
Managing Partner,
CoCoon Ignite Ventures
CHAN, Sze Lok
Sr. Startup Business Development Manager,
AWS

2.
About Cocoon Ignite Ventures
Consumer
Robotics
Data Analytics
Enterprise

3.
The Secret
Generate authentic competition for your round, giving
investors FOMO (fear of missing out) and a sense of urgency

4.
What We’ll Cover
5 Tips for Raising a Seed Round
How did the pandemic change the way to raise a round
Tips for raising fund in post-pandemic
Summary

5.
© 2020, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

6.
Tip #1:
You’re either in full fundraising
mode or you’re not

7.
Tip #2:
Fundraise in parallel (not in sequence) and
put yourself in a position to say “no”

8.
3:1

9.
Tip #3:
Don’t try to manufacture investor urgency
with made up close dates

10.
To Fundraise or Not To Fundraise
● Clear reason to fundraise
● Clear objective for raised proceeds
● Took advantage of the overall situation:
○ Need for entertainment /
reskilling
○ Need for human-less service
● Not just fundraising, but looking for
like-minded partners
● No need to fundraise as existing
revenues is sufficient to sustain
business
● Clear forecast on when the next
fundraising window would be
● Will only go into full-time fundraising
mode when overall business is in a
much more attractive state

11.
Tip #4:
A Good Fundraising Narrative

12.
What is a fundraising narrative?
A concise explanation of what you do, what’s most
compelling about your business, why you’re raising
money, and your long-term vision.

13.
A good narrative can do the
following in 20 seconds

14.
A good narrative can do the
following in 20 seconds
First 10 seconds
1. Simply explain what you do
2. Communicate the single thing that’s
most compelling
Second 10 seconds
3. Outline your progress-to-date, future
milestones, and long-term vision

15.
Bad example
“We provide data and analytics in a
comprehensive project management
suite, enabling audio content creators to
glean insights that inform decisions
throughout the production cycle.”

16.
“We’re an analytics tool for podcasters,
and we’re a team of former podcast
producers who produced 5 of the 20 most
downloaded podcasts of all time.”
Good example

17.
Support your narrative
with a financial model
Goal #1:
Verify the story you’re telling
Goal #2:
Show the assumptions you’re making

18.
The Tale of Two Stories
● From Hong Kong incubator network
● Making music is a superpower
● Practicing music is a pain
● Soundbrenner will make music practice
addictive
“Because music is, and will always be, about
the most human thing that we can do…”
● From Harvard Innovation Lab
● How do humans learn?
● Too much unorganized information today
to learn a subject properly
● Sophya matches the best learning content
and tools with your individual needs, all on
an online platform
“Because schools need a more comprehensive
platform to teach in an online world”

19.
Tip #5:
People > Firm

20.
People > Firms
• Fundraising is about relationships
• Focusing on people is more effective than firm-hunting
• People have different roles and investment focuses

21.
A recent successful deal during pandemic

22.
A recent successful deal during pandemic
● Automating content services for e-tailers globally such as Amazon.com
● Content services include taking pictures of products and writing a description of the product
● E-commerce bottleneck is in content services
● Surging demand to sell basic goods online
● Entire transaction done virtually, sourced through Betatron, an accelerator where CIV is a
founding partner

23.
More tips for raising funds post pandemic

24.
Fundraising Post-Pandemic
• Need to take a multi-perspective approach in seeing the world Post-
Pandemic
• Where was value before and how has it shifted?
• What assumptions need to be revisited to reflect the New Normal?
• 2008 GFC was a good catalyst for new businesses and ideas - what have
we learned from the 2008 GFC?
• Based on the above, how is your business going to thrive in this new
environment?

25.
Summary
• You’re giving up scarce equity in your company, not asking for money
• Create a sense of urgency by cultivating authentic competition
• Startup <> Investor fit goes both ways
• Build relationships before you need to fundraise
• Put yourself in a position where you’ll have to say “no” to investors
• This is a full-time process that should be done as quickly as possible
• Remember the 3:1 rule

26.
Thank you!
© 2020, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
CHAN, Sze Lok
Sr. Startup Business Development
Manager,
AWS
YAU, Roland
Managing Partner,
CoCoon Ignite Ventures