Small Companies, Big Visions

Who is leading the organization? Are there at least 2 full-time co-founders? Do they have highly relevant skills—one who understands the market/demand side, and one who understands the solution/supply side?

Where is the company in terms of its funding process? We typically invest after a friends & family round has closed, and often when there is already progress on a pre or seed round from other outside investors.

What drives the founders? What is their vision and how hard will they fight for it? How do they plan to create and measure the social impact of their work?

Is the business easy to describe? What is the asset being built, and how protectable is it? What has the company invented? Do customers see the product/service as a vitamin or painkiller?

Is the 1.0 version complete and in the hands of customers? Is there proof of demand in terms of revenue, ideally recurring revenue?