Raising venture capital is rarely an easy lift for startups, but 2022 is turning out to be a more challenging year than we’ve seen for some time. As venture capital continues its slowdown after an aggressive 2020 and record-breaking 2021, it’s clear that early-stage founders looking for their first dollars will require a new approach.
What do early-stage founders need to know to capture VC interest, and dollars, in a challenging market? It’s a vital question, and it’s why we’ve invited three investors — who we think know their stuff — to share their insight and advice on the TechCrunch+ stage at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 18-20 in San Francisco.
We’re thrilled that Annie Case, a partner at Kleiner Perkins; Jomayra Herrera, a partner at Reach Capital; and Sheel Mohnot, the co-founder and GP at Better Tomorrow Ventures, will join us for a panel discussion called How to Raise First Dollars in a Difficult Market: The Venture Perspective.
Learn more about these investors, and you’ll understand why they’re eminently qualified to tackle this topic.
Annie Case, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, focuses on investments in consumer, healthcare and marketplaces. Before joining Kleiner Perkins, Case worked at Uber, where she supported the SVP of operations and helped scale the Uber Eats business to international markets.
As a consultant at Bain and Company, Case worked with clients in technology, private equity and education. She graduated from Stanford University with a BS in human biology and an MS in management science and engineering.
Jomayra Herrera is a partner at Reach Capital, a venture fund focused on early-stage education technology and future-of-work companies. She is currently a board director for Workwhile and a board observer for Outschool.
Before joining Reach, Herrera served as a principal at Cowboy Ventures, where she focused on investing in consumer internet and marketplace companies. She helped lead investments in companies like Contra and Landing.
Prior to Cowboy, Herrera was one of the first venture investors at Emerson Collective. She worked across early- to growth-stage teams and championed investments in companies including Career Karma, Guild Education and Handshake.
Sheel Mohnot is a co-founder of Better Tomorrow Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund investing in fintech companies around the world. He is also the GP of the 500 Fintech fund.
Mohnot previously served as vice president of business development at Groupon after a startup he founded, FeeFighters, was acquired by the company in 2012. In 2013, Monot co-founded Innovative Auctions, a high-stakes auction company.
TechCrunch Disrupt is back in person on October 18-20 in San Francisco. Early action equals bigger savings. Buy your pass now and save up to $1,300. Student, government and nonprofit passes are available for just $195. Prices increase July 29.
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