Dream It

DECEMBER 10, 2020

In this guest Dreamit Dose, Jason Calacanis (@jason), a technology entrepreneur, angel investor, and the host of the popular podcasts This Week in Startups and Angel, answers the top 5 questions he gets about angel investing. When looking at angel investors vs. venture capitalists, there are a few differences regarding when to reach out to them and what motivates them to do deals.

angel investing

Dream It

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

A new survey finds that health system leaders are actively seeking new commercial relationships with startups regardless of when “normal” returns but startup success hinges on not only addressing solutions that are on health systems' shortlist but also data supporting a clear ROI. Dreamit Ventures and MedCityNews teamed up to get a pulse on the current appetite for innovation at large health systems across the United States.

health

Dream It

JULY 29, 2020

TrekIT Health (HT- ‘18) is a HIPAA compliant and secure, real-time workspace for synthesizing information across EHRs and care teams. Clinicians love TrekIT because of its intuitive and predictive interface which serves as a cure for disjointed information systems and a replacement for paper task lists. Today, the company announced closing $1M in additional seed financing.

health

Dream It

MAY 14, 2020

Net Health, a premier provider of cloud-based EHR software for specialized care settings, today announced that it has acquired Tissue Analytics , a pioneering developer of automated mobile wound and skin imaging and predictive analytics solutions. The startup has significantly increased patient and clinician engagement in wound management, providing a mobile platform for patients to track metrics on the healing process and identify potential infections.

health

Dream It

MAY 13, 2020

Earlier this month, Adam Dakin , Managing Director of Dreamit Healthtech, joined Phase2 Health to share his insight on how the pandemic is changing healthcare. Dakin joined Dan Baker (Managing Partner, Phase2 Health) and a panel of early-stage healthtech investors that included Neta Amidi (Global Head of Health, Plug and Play) and Matty Francis (Principal, Healthbox).

health

Dream It

APRIL 8, 2020

Jason Calacanis ( @jason ), angel investor in many category-defining companies, including Uber, Thumbtack, Wealthfront, Robinhood, and Calm, says you absolutely should. Jason sat down with Steve Barsh , Managing Partner of Dreamit, to give founders relevant downturn strategies. Having been at the forefront of the dot-com boom, 9/11, and the financial crisis of 2008, Jason knows what it takes to survive this downturn.

founder

Dream It

APRIL 3, 2020

Geoffrey Moore , acclaimed author of “Crossing the Chasm,” and most recently “Zone to Win” joined us to chat with Steve Barsh on how to provoke customers to increase sales in a downturn. In this episode, the two discussed how you can effectively sell in an environment where budgets are being cut, executive decision-makers are distracted with other priorities, and companies are less inclined to invest in innovation.

pitching

Dream It

MARCH 28, 2020

More than 15 Dreamit Healthtech portfolio companies have products that are helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These companies are actively deploying COVID-19 solutions in hospitals and healthcare systems to enable rapid testing, to limit exposure to the virus, to educate patients and clinicians on rapidly-evolving information, and to provide communication tools that reduce exposure risk for front-line healthcare workers.

hospitality

Dream It

MARCH 6, 2020

Jeff Berman is General Partner at Camber Creek , one of the first venture funds dedicated to real estate technology and the built world. The team owns, operates and manages over 150 million square feet of real estate, making Camber Creek one of the biggest value-add venture partners for real estate tech startups. Berman comes from a real estate background, and he co-founded Camber Creek after realizing an opportunity to “create a double alpha situation,” both investing in high-growth startups an

real estate

Dream It

JANUARY 8, 2020

In our most recent episode of DreamitLive , Managing Partner Steve Barsh spoke with Ron Gula , President and Co-Founder of Gula Tech Adventures. In the episode, Steve asked Ron about his “five slide pitch deck.” Ron has the investor perspective as the President of Gula Tech Adventures, but also can empathize with the founder as former founder of his own company, Tenable.

pitching

Dream It

DECEMBER 19, 2019

NeuroFlow ( Healthtech - Fall 2019 ) is a platform for getting patients with behavioral health issues better by supporting clinical teams with collaborative and measurement-based tools in all care settings. This week, the company announced a $7.5 million Series A financing round led by San Francisco-based Builders VC. Also participating in the round are Dreamit Ventures , Spring Point Partners, Red & Blue Ventures, and AWT Private Investments.

health

Dream It

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

In this #DreamitLive, Urbantech Managing Director Andrew Ackerman speaks with CREtech CEO Michael Beckerman about the latest trends in innovation in the commercial real estate industry. Michael Beckerman runs CREtech, the largest event, data and content platform in the commercial real estate tech sector. This position gives him an unparalleled vantage point on emerging tech trends, which technologies are having the biggest impact, and how leading organizations are adapting their companies to int

real estate

Dream It

OCTOBER 21, 2019

It's been about a year since Slidebean’s first Youtube video breakthrough. Since then, they’ve added around 20,000 subscribers, and their videos have been watched over 1.7MM times. To celebrate their success, we collaborated with Slidebean to host a Fireside Chat in New York City on October 10th featuring Caya, founder of Slidebean, and Steve Barsh, Managing Partner at Dreamit. from DreamIt Ventures. ?

pitching

Dream It

OCTOBER 9, 2019

Accelerated digital innovation has catapulted the world into unprecedented growth. But this age of disruption has also created numerous opportunities for hackers and cybercriminals. Big stories like the Cambridge Analytica fiasco and government offices getting hacked are all over the news – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Research from advisory firm Gartner predicts that companies are facing up to $5.2 trillion in added cost and profit loss from cyber attacks in the next 5 years.

disruption

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

An Impact-Investing Success Story: Goldman Sachs-Backed Fintech Fuels Double Bottom Line by Investing in International Students A new study by MPOWER Financing (Dreamit Spring 2016 alum) highlights the dramatic impact of no-cosigner loans for international and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students on campus diversity, gender equity, and financial inclusion.

finance

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Originally Published on Hive. This is the second post in this series by Andrew Ackerman. View Part 1 of the series here. Because senior management may have a deep understanding of the sector and the specific needs of the corporate sponsor, it seems easy to assume that involving them in the selection process will help the corporate venture capitalist (CVC) pick the right startups to support?

innovation

Dream It

JULY 31, 2019

I've been an alum of Dreamit twice. The first time, back in 2012, I joined as part of a mobile gaming company. We didn't have a live product, but we had an insane buzz around us, with a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign and 'The Next Angry Birds' quote from Techcrunch. We spent most of that summer developing the product while carving out time to meet investors and try to raise funding.

startup

Dream It

JANUARY 23, 2019

Global PR powerhouse Cision announced today that it is acquiring Dreamit alum TrendKite in a deal valuing the startup at $225 million. TrendKite’s suite of analytics tools uses artificial intelligence to help brands monitor and measure their PR efforts. With Trendkite, brand marketers can understand how their earned media and communications marketing efforts affect corporate reputation, website traffic, revenue growth, and other business outcomes.

real estate

Dream It

APRIL 24, 2019

According to Goldman Sachs , virtual and augmented reality (AR) will become an $80 billion market by 2025, and $2.6 billion will be specifically for real estate. The medium is extremely powerful. About 30% of the neurons in the brain are dedicated to vision, compared to only 8% for touch and 2% for hearing. Over the past week, Zillow announced the rollout of their 3D Home tool, which lets real estate agents show immersive VC views of homes for sale.

real estate

Dream It

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

When pitching a potential investor or customer, time is of the essence. Most of that time goes to the meat of the conversion: the question-and-answer portion. During Q&A, both sides start engaging in a sort of conversational dance - with one side leading (VC/customer) and the other side following (founder). But often, we’ll hear founders misstep and repeat easy mistakes that throw off Q&A flow and cause startups to lose points.

VC

Dream It

AUGUST 2, 2021

A channel sales strategy is crucial to scaling a startup. However, most startups fail to launch and execute a successful channel sales program. Securetech Managing Director, Mel Shakir , brought Evan Blair to the Dreamit Dose to share his experience leading global channel sales and partner programs at ZeroFox, Accuvant, and Ciphent over the past decade.

strategy

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JULY 12, 2021

Raising early-stage funding? You’ll need to know the ins and outs of convertible notes and SAFEs. In this Dreamit Dose, Steve Barsh, Managing Partner at Dreamit, gives you his breakdown and tells you what issues to avoid on these early-stage financing instruments. This companion post will better explain startup funding by covering the interplay of SAFEs, convertible notes, terms, and equity.

founder

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MAY 19, 2021

The ‘How much are you raising?’ question is a common and important component of investor Q&A. Seasoned founders have a particular way of answering this question. In this Dreamit Dose, Managing Director Adam Dakin presents his view on the right way to answer it after hearing hundreds, if not thousands, of founder pitches. Make the specific amount you are raising and corresponding milestones clear at the beginning of the pitch, and do not give a range.

pitching

Dream It

MAY 4, 2021

The "What’s your valuation?" question is a common component of investor Q/A. You need to be aware of and ready for this tough question from investors. Seasoned founders have a particular way of framing their answer to this question. In this Dreamit Dose, Managing Director Adam Dakin reveals the right approach on how to answer the valuation question when pitching VCs.

VC

Dream It

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

We did a previous dose on 5 things investors wish startups knew. Go here if you missed it. Well, that didn’t cover everything. Managing Partner, Steve Barsh , sat down to give us 5 MORE things investors wish startups knew. Keep reading for some more of the most common mistakes startups make when pitching and for Steve’s tips on how to fix them. 1. Share your unique insight What did you discover that sets you apart from other startups?

startup founder

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

A few months ago, we did a blog post on how to get a CISO to buy your product. But, what will instantly make a CISO say no to your product? Mel Shakir , Securetech Managing Director, talks to CISOs every day in his role at Dreamit. He coaches companies to get them ready to sell to a CISO. However, he also coaches them on what to avoid. In this Dreamit Dose, Mel gives you 5 reasons a CISO may NOT buy your product.

disruption

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic created a new fundraising environment with its own unique challenges. Among them, VCs and startups are forced to interact remotely and make deals without ever shaking hands. This matters because it brings new issues to light that simply were not as relevant to investors before. Many of these new red flags that occur during virtual pitching are easy to fix.

pitching

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

In the early stages of startup growth, it is critical to have a balanced and strong core team of founders. Here’s why those two words matter. Your team must be balanced - filling key functional roles necessary to operationalize. It must also be strong - excelling within those functional areas to get the company to the next inflection point. This quote from our recent guest #DreamitDose perfectly encapsulates this thinking.

startup

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Most founders consider two possibilities when thinking about their exit strategy: IPO or acquisition. However, the process of startup M&A likely remains shrouded in mystery for founders who have never seen it first-hand. At Dreamit, we’re well aware that founders have lots of questions concerning M&A like, “What are the top reasons M&A deals are done?

board

Dream It

AUGUST 10, 2020

Speaking to investors can require a language of its own. Word choice is important and even the smallest detail can make or break your startup pitch. Adam Dakin , Managing Director of Dreamit Healthtech, sees founders make the same common pitch mistakes over and over. Luckily, he’s a pro when it comes to pitching investors and distills the advice so it’s easy to avoid.

pitching

Dream It

JULY 24, 2020

To keep an organization safe, a CISO depends on as many as 50 to 100 different products. This presents a huge opportunity for startups. However, this means that a CISO sees a LOT of pitches in their role. Securetech Managing Director at Dreamit, Mel Shakir , talks to CISOs every week. He knows how to drive a CISO’s emotional response and draw attention to your product.

peer-to-peer

Dream It

JULY 20, 2020

When you’re raising a bridge round and pitching investors, their first reaction may be that you’re in trouble. To overcome this, you’ll need to properly address your reason for raising bridge funding. In this #DreamitDose, Managing Partner Steve Barsh gives founders tips on how to frame their bridge round ask, overcome assumptions investors often make, and provides a general way to structure startup bridge round pitches.

startup

Dream It

APRIL 21, 2020

When pitching investors, remember that your ask is like porridge; it follows the goldilocks ratio and has to be just right. Asking for too much or too little funding will raise red flags with investors and cause you to lose credibility. So the question remains: what is the appropriate amount of funding founders should request? This is a difficult question to answer.

ventures

Dream It

APRIL 12, 2020

Paul Martino, General Partner at Bullpen Capital. During our recent Dreamit Kickoff week, Bullpen Capital Founder and General Partner Paul Martino ( @ahpah ) spoke with our Spring 2020 cohort about the state of the VC ecosystem in the current economic crisis. Martino founded Bullpen in 2010 with a focus on post-seed, pre-Series A startups, and he led the fund’s investments in companies like FanDuel, Namely, Ipsy, SpotHero, Classy, and Airmap.

ventures

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APRIL 7, 2020

Friday, April 3 was supposed to be the orderly launch of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) providing $349B of urgently needed funding to struggling startups and small businesses. Last Friday was anything but orderly. After PPP is finished, I don't think bankers in the US will ever again acknowledge the letter P as a letter in the alphabet. — samir kaji (@Samirkaji) April 7, 2020 To guide startups through the confusion, Dreamit interviewed three leaders helping startups se

startup

Dream It

APRIL 7, 2020

The venture fund launched a completely virtual program with a focus on helping 13 Urbantech, Healthtech, and Securetech startups with business development, customer growth, and capital raising in a time of economic uncertainty. Dreamit Ventures , an early-stage venture fund and growth-focused program for startups with early product-market fit, announced its latest batch of startups and kicked off its completely virtual Securetech, Urbantech, and Healthtech programs.

ventures

Dream It

MARCH 20, 2020

NarrativeDX ( Healthtech - Fall 2014 ) is the latest win for the Dreamit portfolio. Today, the company announced that it is being acquired by health care performance improvement pioneer Press Ganey. Kyle Robertson, Founder and CEO of NarrativeDx. This comes on the heels of NarrativeDX’s recent funding round just one year ago last February. Kyle Robertson, Founder and CEO of NarrativeDx comments, “We share Press Ganey’s passion for driving health care transformation.

health