The 5 P’s of Capital Raising |
In Conversation with Yash Varma

In coming along to the Canopy Capital Raising Strategy at KPMG’s Innovation Lab last week, our founders expected to have discussions around common questions like:

🤔 When is the right time to raise capital?
🤔 What are the key attributes a VC looks for in a founder?
🤔 How do you arrive at a fair valuation for your business?

Our Head of Founder Communities, Coby Sullivan, moderated a conversation with Yash Varma, from Empress Capital, which revealed some new and interesting insights around the raising journey and how to go about securing investment for your startup.

Yash, who is a dedicated member of Innovation Bay, kindly shared some of his more personal tips for founders, as they consider seeking investment into their business.

We love the fact they make up 5 P’s and are easy to remember!

Presence: This refers to how you show up every day and the state of mind you bring to your interactions with investors. Investors want to see passion and commitment from founders so consider how you carry yourself, from your body language to your tone.

Purpose: This is about having a clear understanding of where you are in your journey and why you set out on this undertaking in the first place. What is the WHY behind your startup and how can you help others to feel it with the same conviction? What personal experiences or stories do you have under your belt that can shed light on not just your business but who you are as a person?

Persuasion: Your pitching skills are key to convincing investors to invest in your business. As always, you need to be able to tell a succinct and compelling story, demonstrate what you do differently to other solutions in the market and articulate your value proposition.

Productivity: This P is about the physical and mental stamina needed to succeed in the fundraising process. You need to focus and be energised during what can be a long and gruelling process. This might look different for different people, from nutrition to exercise to meditation, but find out what works for you and prioritise looking after yourself, not just the business.

Psychology: The fundraising journey can be emotionally challenging, and this P is about recognising and addressing those emotional and mental challenges. It’s easy to always be pressing forward but also, consider the role and importance of reflection. Get clear on your values, which will help you to find alignment with co-founders and team members as well as investors.

A big thank you to Yash for joining our conversation and helping to share some tips with our early-stage founders. For more information about events like these, reach out to our Head of Founder Communities, Coby Sullivan. 

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