How to Choose the Right Startup Funding Source with Tara Spalding (March 9, 2023)

For months, reports have indicated that venture capital funding for startups is becoming more scarce. According to an analysis of Crunchbase data, global venture funding in 2022 reached $445 billion — marking a 35 percent decline year over year from the $681 billion invested in 2021. And many are predicting another tough year ahead.

In a down market, it’s even more important for founders to set themselves apart from their competitors when pursuing capital. According to startup fundraising expert Tara Spalding, that’s why it’s vital for founders to have a thorough understanding of what makes a startup funding source unique before they start their pitch.

“Setting your startup apart is tricky because your approach needs to be customized to appeal to the capital providers themselves, be it individual angel investor, a venture capital fund, or a government grant,” Tara says. “Each is going to look for unique things. And where I see founders fail is underestimating the amount of work required to prepare for approaching those different capital sources.”

Tara is the interim CEO and Chief Programming Officer at VentureCapital.org, a Utah-based non-profit that helps make entrepreneurs investable and provides connections to capital.

In a webinar for Founders Network members on March 9, she’ll share insights on sourcing startup capital according to company performance, maturity and preference.

In her webinar, Tara will cover:

• Capital accessibility according to growth and profitability
• Why use of funds and expected returns are important to identify before sourcing options
• How to differentiate your startup from other options when fundraising
• Elements of your financial model that all capital sources expect you to know

About the Speaker:

Tara Spalding is Interim CEO and Chief Programming Officer at VentureCapital.org, Utah-based non-profit organization that helps make entrepreneurs investable and provides connections to capital. She is also the Chairperson at WeAngels.Capital, offering an educational program and community-advised investment path to activate investors who intend to support women+ founded and gender-diverse businesses in Utah and surrounding states.

Prior to her role, she was Managing Director at BoomStartup Accelerator, a division of Assure. Under Tara’s leadership BoomStartup became a global, angel stage investment preparedness program for startups. They worked with more than 1,500 startups from over 50 countries and helped raise over $11M in pre-seed funding.

In 2022, Tara co-authored “10 Preparation Stages to Start a Successful Business” designed to help founders substantially think through company creation to improve their success rate when starting their business. Previously, Tara founded Hen House Ventures in 2012, an early stage incubator that helps tech companies rapidly scale when entering massive markets. Supporting over 40 technology companies located throughout the US and Canada, Hen House Ventures helped startups secure over $20M in early-stage venture capital.

Tara began her tech career in Silicon Valley when she taught herself to code software and became the first employee, and eventually VP of marketing at industry leader, SugarCRM. Her experience included roles as CMO at GroundWork Open Source, VP marketing at Magnet Systems, and co-founder and CPO at BenchPick. Tara received her BS in Business Administration from University of Colorado, Boulder.