In my work at Astronaut Monastery, a creative studio that works with start-ups and investors, we get the same question from founders again and again. Should I rebrand before I kick off my fundraise? To properly answer (and confirm my own opinion), I went to some of my investor friends to see what they thought. Very quickly, I saw the answer wasn't so clear-cut. And when that's the case, my writer/journalist senses start tingling and I know there's an important question to explore here. So should startups invest in brand before they fundraise? To answer this question once and for all, I spoke to some of the sharpest minds on investing and brand for Inc. Magazine. Thank you so much Alexa von Tobel of Inspired Capital, Arielle Jackson at First Round Capital, Emily Libresco from Lerer Hippeau, Allison Braley at Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), Uma Chalik of Torch Capital, and Tina He at Pace Capital for so thoughtfully sharing your perspectives. From the founder POV, Sienna McCormick, co-CEO of Create Wellness, the first-to-market creatine brand that just raised a $20 million Series B and unveiled a fresh visual identity, also shared how she thinks about brand and fundraising. If you're a founder, I hope you find this to be a resource! https://lnkd.in/gaeSPF8W
so many of my favorite people in one place!
Uma Chalik
1w
Thank you for including me, Sarah Wood González! Love that this piece makes the case for brand beyond consumer.
Great question to explore!
So glad you took on this topic, and thanks for including me, Sarah Wood González!
Thanks for the great chat Sarah Wood González! Brand is so important, ever more so as AI makes products easier and easier to build.
Loved this article and the various perspectives
Thanks so much for including me, Sarah Wood González! Great to speak with you re such a timely topic.
A rebrand can clarify the story, but it can’t compensate for organizational ambiguity underneath it. Investors are evaluating the business behind the narrative too.