Startup Grind

Startup Resources

Venture Capital

⁠
Request to Pitch or Schedule Investor Meeting
⁠
⁠

Wefunder - For community round of equity crowdfunding

Engage you loyal customers and communities as investors. You can raise from $50K to $5M via the current regulations. And anyone can invest for as little as $100. With recent changes in regulations, anyone with any background and any financial status can invest in your startup. You’re no longer dependent on a warm intro to some MBA grad on Sand Hill Road. You can raise from your fans, customers, you plumber, etc. For more information contact

us here⁠

and we can save you 20% on platform fees and promote your startup to our local community.

Ready to raise?

Michael Thaney is a local Venture Partner and happy to help get you started...and a platform discount.

⁠

Let your community invest | Wefunder, Home of the Community Round Raise $50K to $5M+ from hundreds of customers, fans, and friends—all in one line on your cap table. wefunder.com⁠

⁠

Calm Company Fund - For bootstrappers of profitable, sustainable, CALM businesses

We love bootstrapped companies! You've launched, have some paying customers, and some feedback. We don't invest in idea stage, pre-product companies — that is not our realm of expertise. We invest in MVPs, not proof of concepts. We invest between $75k – $250k and can lead rounds of $500k-$1m.

ARE YOU THE FOUNDER OF A CALM COMPANY?

We're in the business of keeping you in business. We invest early in profitable businesses that want to maximize their chances of success and build for the long-term.

FOUNDER ALIGNED FUNDING

Our

Shared Earnings Agreement⁠

investment structure keeps founders in total control and aligns us with profitable businesses. We win when you win, on your terms.

RADICAL TRANSPARENCY - WE LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER

With 150+ (and growing) experienced software founders as mentors and investors in the Calm Company community, mentorship is your unfair advantage.

WHAT CALM COMPANY FUND INVESTS IN?

Check out the

site⁠

⁠

Michael Thaney is a local Venture Scout and is available to discuss if Calm Fund is a good fit for you and help write an investor memo.

⁠

Connect with Venture Scout

⁠

StartFast - For founders based outside of VC hubs

StartFast Ventures⁠

we LOVE ❤️:

Strong, diverse teams with proven track records and exceptional domain expertise

Recurring revenue business models, particularly with a business to business focus

Founders based outside venture capital hubs, at the Series Seed and Series A stage

Michael Thaney is a local Venture Partner and is passionate about connecting founders from emerging startup ecosystems.

⁠

Connect with Venture Partner

⁠

Tres Win - For pre-seed founders looking for a local angel group

Tres.win⁠

we developed a network of accredited investors living in or connected to the western NY region. We love early stage deals where our network can provide a strategic advantage to our founders.

Our founding team is Buffalo and Rochester.

⁠

Connect with Founding Member

⁠