We put together the Fundraising Summit because we heard time and again the same question: How do I raise money for my startup?
Our goal was to bring together community leaders in venture capital, angel investing, banking and other sources of capital. That we did. Here are three reasons to attend this event on July 28 at 1871:
1) Candid advice from experienced investors- Jeff Maters, vice president at one of Chicago's foremost venture capital firms, New World Ventures, knows VC. And when I say he knows VC, I mean he's been in the industry over 10 years and has seen just about everything. Karin O'Connor, managing partner of Hyde Park Angels, sees pitches on a daily basis. We're lucky that both of these professionals will be in the same room, sharing their perspectives on what entrepreneurs do right (and wrong!) when it comes to fundraising.
2) Stories from successful entrepreneurs- Uzi Shmilovici, CEO and founder of FutureSimple, raised $6.8 million from Index Ventures and others several months ago. Hear how he raised from local investors like OCA Ventures and firms on the coasts to fund his startup. With over 20 years in the technology startup world, Bob Gillespie, CEO of InContext Solutions, has seen and experienced it all. His perspective on structuring family and friends financing will be important for many entrepreneurs seeking very early stage funding.
3) All in one place, all one day- All of these successful individuals, including Michael D'Aronzio from Chase Bank, who offers an institutional outlook on how entrepreneurs can secure bank loans, will be in one place on one day talking about the same issue. They'll hit on financing opportunities you didn't know existed and discuss which type of financing is best depending on the startup. After offering individual stories, they'll duke it out in panel discussions meant to get to the bottom of the pros and cons of each type of financing.
In all, the Fundraising Summit is our attempt to provide the Chicago startup community with all the resources and information needed to figure out how to fund their startups. We're offering a discount of 25% to Built in Chicago members using the code "BIC" when you sign up .
This event will sell out. Make sure to get your early bird ticket today.
