DocSend Newsletter - The Startup Index: July 21, 2023

July 21, 2023

Welcome back to The Startup Index.

In this installment, we’ll share network-building tips for founders and investors from international thought leaders Max Fleitmann and Marc Penkala, as well as why you might want to consider adding video to your pitch deck.

Plus, a snapshot of what the most recent data says about investor activity and how VCs are interacting with founder pitches in this week’s Pitch Deck Metrics update.

Democratizing informal networks for early deal access

International founder and investor Max Fleitmann sat down with Marc Penkala, founder of āltitude, to get the inside scoop on how to disrupt informal networks within Europe’s angel market.

Learn Marc’s tips for navigating the most challenging aspect of early-stage venture capital.

Weekly Update: Pitch Deck Metrics
Investors picked up their pace last week while founders kept to theirs. VC activity rose by a healthy 22.61% in a burst of activity that matches a similar one from the same week last year. With this surge of activity, the average time on deck fell by 4%. The second week of July is historically an active week for investors, as many of them who take time off for the July 4th holiday return to their desks.

Beyond seasonal trends, though, news of slowing inflation may have buoyed private-market investor confidence just as it caused a swell of optimism in the public markets. Founder activity was unchanged last week and remains above 2022 levels.

With Q2 earnings season upon us and reappraisals of the macro environment following in the wake of the positive CPI data, will startup fundraising keep to this pace? The next few weeks could set the tone for the rest of the summer season.

Improve your fundraising strategy with a video pitch

Pitch deck reading time is down — VCs spent 4% less time on average on decks in the last week alone. The good news? Adding a video into your pitch is a great way to recapture VC attention and generate excitement. The better news? DocSend makes it easy to create, share, and track your videos.

Here’s what you need to know to create the ideal video pitch, and how you can use advanced analytics to improve your strategy along the way.

Recommended reads

DocSend + Dropbox Capture - a match made in video heaven. Learn how to simplify video pitching from start to finish, right from your DocSend dashboard.
Visual, tactile storytelling holds attention spans during a pitch. Winston Mok of Woosh Air shares his POV on how to use traction and storytelling to bolster your pitch amidst a challenging fundraising climate.
Reject productivity hacks, regain focus. In an era of burnout and multi-tasking, Oliver Burkeman, author of 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, explores practical ways we can better focus in the time we have.

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