Venture capital presents itself as a formidable business with few inroads. Forging business relationships with seed funds is often hampered by their organisational structure. Firstly, what they do and what they offer is rarely presented in layman’s terms. Secondly, many venture capital firms in Australia and beyond make it sound like you have to prove yourself, rather than the other way around. Endless application forms are the norm. While vetting is necessary and expected, acquiring seed funding is too often predicated on who you know, rather than the quality of your ideas.
That’s all set to change with Think10. Think10 has supported scores of successful businesses from the ground up, so we are guided by practical experience, rather than nepotism.
Without repeating what we’ve already said on our homepage (we really are trying to set the new standard in pre-IPO investment) we think it would be helpful to expand upon what makes Think10 different. By now, you’ve probably looked at several venture capital companies and maybe even sent off a few founder applications. We don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say we’re different, but here’s why:
1-We Break Down the Barriers to Entry for People Looking for Capital
The costs of running a company start from day one, which means there’s often a wide gap between when you start spending money and when you start making money. Effectively, this means that all businesses start in the red, and at a significant disadvantage, if they haven’t raised money to cover those initial costs. Yet capital is what enables you to “set up shop”. Having capital to burn from the outset is essential to achieving profitability in the long term. Capital ensures your great idea can be fleshed out into a recognisable structure – through staff hires, office/store space, product development, sales, and so on. The challenge of capital, of course, is that it needs to be secured. Fundraising is brutally difficult and has its limitations. Alternatively, few new businesses can rely on “savings” forever. Seed funding, or early-stage investment by an outside party, is the most thorough way to fund your business from the outset. Seed funding exists for businesses, often coming from businesses. Through seed funding, you can often access not only funds but access to an established business network, contacts and knowledge. However, there exist significant barriers to attracting seed funding, in part because most venture capital funds tend to focus on the technology sector.
2-Willing to Look at All Business Not Just Tech Start-Ups
At Think10, we don’t limit our funds to the tech industry. From first-hand experience, we understand that great ideas exist across the entire spectrum. After all, if we look at companies that have been hugely successful in the last five years, they rarely come from the same industry. From bro nuts to electric scooters to CBD oil, the “next big thing” is rarely a new invention but a new take on an existing product. It’s about presenting something desirable to consumers. Whatever your idea, we are willing to sit down with you and discuss its potential, provided there is a clear pathway from product/service to revenue generation.
3-Your Business Doesn’t Have to Be Hugely Disrupting It Just Needs to Be Revenue Generating and Have Room for Growth and Scalability
That’s right, your idea doesn’t have to be the competitor of SpaceX or a world-first in health care (although we don’t mind if it is). All your business has to do is have the kind of spark that generates interest. That offers entertainment. That solves a problem. That captures a gap in the market. That inspires. That has the potential for revenue and scalability. We don’t put up barriers that dictate the kind of product you have to present, we promise to look at you and your business as an individual. After all, Apple Computers started out of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak’s garage. Our investors look for new pathways for growth, without putting you in a box.
Venture Capital that Thinks Ten Steps Ahead
Think10 partners with motivated entrepreneurs, business owners and management teams to achieve their full potential. We want to hear from you, no matter how large or small your starting point. No need to bother with awkward founder applications, talk to us today about your value creation.
