You need funding to accelerate your startup, all that’s left is to sign an investor… Okay, but where do you find him? Not everyone has the opportunity to be accompanied in a fundraising to land appointments. So for the resourceful, here are a few tips and tricks to make it happen yourself..
Sports and Places : Golf, Tennis, Gym Club…
Yes, investors are humans like any other. Yes, they are. They need to eat, travel and be entertained. So you’ll come across them in innocuous places designed to have fun, to be entertained. And it is precisely in these places that an entrepreneur can find the availability, the listening of a person to whom to present in a few words his startup.
What counts to increase one’s chances to meet an investor is the standing of the place. But let’s not make a generalisation!
however that statistically, you are more likely to meet a business angel, a partner of a family office or the investment director of an investment fund in places with high purchasing power. It is rare for me to talk about my project on the corner of my local café.
Club-houses
The Club-house of a Tennis Club is also a place not too “bad”! The historical institutional clubs in Paris are generally places where passionate players come to play and have lunch after their game. These places emphasize the quality of service in the sport.
Go ahead and ask to be invited to try the club by a member. In the worst case, it will cost you a few euros for the reservation of the course, and for the mint diabolo at the bar to thank him for his game. Yes, the sportsman does not drink alcohol in this article.
The same will be true for squash or padel. If you arrive at the club alone, without knowing anyone, ask to be introduced to other members.
The Golf Club is also a good place to meet people who can help you with your project. Just starting out? Don’t worry, initiation in a golf club is inexpensive, even free for some occasions. If you don’t have a club, we can lend you a 7 or 9 iron for the driving range.
If you already play golf, then do yourself a favor and come alone. This is more effective in encouraging you to start conversations, as it will push you to dare to reach out to others rather than comfortably chat with the person who is with you. Ask to be included in a party. If you are familiar with the club’s hospitality, ask for a friendly team with members or other players who might be able to give you advice. Then leave it to chance !
Gym club
In the category “gyms”, prefer the nice places, the ones whose website mentions a VIP area, Sauna, Hammam, Jacuzzi, etc.
You will say to me: “These places are too expensive, I can’t afford them”.
This is often not true. Nothing obliges you to take an annual subscription and you can sometimes be an occasional guest. You can come and have a drink for a few euros. Use your network, search for establishments on Google, etc.
Go for places or neighborhoods that are upscale, and allow yourself to feel comfortable there. Allow yourself to go to places you don’t usually go !
You are an entrepreneur, a startup project holder and you want to find the right investor? Take advantage of unique meeting opportunities in a pleasant setting. Come and participate in the next START-UP GOLF CHALLENGE. Open to all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Palace bar
Many luxury hotels welcome entrepreneurs and investors for a trip, an event, or a meeting (trade show, conference, etc.).
But often, these bars are open to the public. Instead of the local bar, make it your new place to relax, as long as you respect the clientele and don’t stand out too much.
As long as you have the right style of dress for the place, and enough discretion that they don’t want to show you the door, you can go there and even become a regular. There is no need to spend a lot of money on drinks: ordering a simple coffee or a glass of soda will be enough as a pass.
The main difficulty will be in the means to enter into conversation with interesting clients to talk entrepreneurship.
Asking an innocuous question, starting a discussion as two strangers would do, can do the trick. It’s up to you to work on your social skills.
Are you looking for financing? Submit your application and we will contact you to help you get visibility with our network of investors. The GOWEEZ agency with MY PITCH IS GOOD accompanies you in your strategic development linked to your innovation and your value proposition and puts you in touch with its investors.
Investors’ conferences
In France and elsewhere, fairs, conferences and other events regularly bring together investors. The subject matter can be related to investment, tax optimization, equity portfolio management, real estate investment (why not), etc.
Find out about upcoming conferences in your area on private equity, shareholding, etc.
I can mention for example the conferences of the France Angels federation, chaired by Guy Gourevitch. In a previous interview conducted by MyPitchIsGood for the Startup Golf Challenge, he talked about different networks of investors, which are meeting places for entrepreneurs.
This very dynamic federation accompanies young investors, first-time buyers of company capital. Some events are open to the outside public (project leaders, consultants, etc.).
Sometimes, the entry ticket to pay or the access conditions (being an investor yourself) will be an obstacle… but be curious. It’s up to you to multiply the opportunities.
Examples of places and events:
- In Paris, the Accor Arena with BIG organized by the BPI, on October 6, 2022 (free)
- In Cannes, the IPEM from September 20 to 22, 2022 (mainly dedicated to investment funds, so less accessible on the budget side!)
- The Carrousel du Louvre, Investir Day on November 29, 2022. Great meetings are possible
Even if you don’t attend the event, consider going for a drink in a nearby hotel or bar on the day. You can also try your luck around shareholder meetings of publicly traded companies. Subscribe to the newsletters of these companies.
If you have other ideas, or want to discuss them, contact me privately on Linkedin 😉
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