Tomorrow, Cyndx introduces a new webinar for founders, investors, and our audience of newsletter subscribers. Cyndx Insider will be broadcast at 4:00pm ET on November 5th, 2020.
What is Cyndx Insider?
Cyndx Insider is 30-minute moderated Q&A with the investors and founders involved in a recent (or ongoing) funding round.
Where did the idea for Cyndx Insider come from?
By including representatives from both sides of the process, we hope to present a more accurate picture of the complexities, challenges, and negotiations inherent to reaching a deal.
The idea comes from Nicholas Longano, Head of Marketing at Cyndx and host of the new webinar. “We wanted to make the capital-raising process more transparent for those entrepreneurs just beginning to seek institutional capital for their companies,” he explains.
“Today, capital raising is an opaque and mysterious process. Most entrepreneurs are in the dark when it comes to capital raising, and Cyndx Insider is a way to shed light on the realities of the process and generate awareness so that they are better prepared.”
What will panelists be asked about?
Questions for Cyndx Insider are intended to prompt the most honest conversation possible about the experience of capital-raising.
The discussion will cover topics like what to expect, what VCs are really looking for, and how they think through each investment — as well as “the preparation it takes, the knowledge that it’s a lot of door knocking and a lot of no’s before you find that perfect match between your investment opportunity and their investment thesis,” according to Longano.
Who will be featured on the first Cyndx Insider?
For the first Cyndx Insider, we are excited to welcome Akshita Iyer, Founder and CEO of Inirv, as well as investors Shila Nieves Burney and Sig Mosley of Zane Venture Fund.
Iyer graduated from Duke with a background in neuroscience and consumer behavior, and was planning to attend medical school, when a personal experience with fire at home inspired her to start Inirv, which builds smart technology for peace of mind and automation in the kitchen. Joined by cofounder and husband Ranjith, she bootstrapped Inirv for two years, made it on to ABC’s Shark Tank, and is now preparing Inirv for launch.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this webinar and share my journey as an entrepreneur,” Iyer says. “As a first-time founder (in a typically male-dominated industry), I’ve learned most of what I know now on the go. Every day is a roller coaster, and most days are pretty unglamorous, but I’m passionate about sharing the real, unfiltered struggles that every founder goes through and the rewards on the other side if we keep persevering. Fundraising has been especially difficult and frustrating, but I’ve learned that it takes time and effort to seek out the right investors who align with my vision and genuinely believe in me as a founder.”
Hear more from Iyer tomorrow, when she’ll share more of her fundraising experience on Cyndx Insider.