The Benefit of Short-Term Returns

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In startup investing, many investors swing for the fences.

The goal is to make each investment a homerun.

In most cases, home runs will take a substantial amount of time to complete.

There are benefits to short-term investments in which the returns are smaller.

Here are some benefits to consider:

There’s a psychological boost that comes from knowing you’ve had a return of capital.

The returned cash can be recycled into a follow-on investment in a home run deal.

Short-term returns are easier to fund.

Home run deals are often difficult to get into due to investor demand.

Short-term returns are easier to find.

There are many startups that can return capital in three years or less.

This can boost one’s investment metric, such as an IRR, which includes time to return as part of the calculation.

Consider both short and long-term return startups for your investment strategy.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
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On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Ivor Stratford, co-founder and CEO of Morpheus Group, a leading consultancy specializing in talent solutions and executive recruitment. Located in London, Morpheus Group works with organizations across the globe, particularly in the U.S., to help founders and executives align their culture, values, and growth strategy with the right talent. With a focus on venture-backed startups from pre-seed to IPO, Ivor and his team provide a unique vantage point into the world of early-stage investing, emphasizing that at the earliest stages, the real investment is in people. Morpheus Group combines deep experience in recruitment, strategic advisory, and hands-on mentorship to ensure founders not only hire effectively but also build high-performing teams that can scale.

Morpheus Group has carved out a niche in the AI and machine learning space, guiding founders who are hyper-focused on specific applications rather than broad, generalized solutions. From conversational AI in drive-through technology to other emerging use cases, Ivor and his team help identify opportunities where technology meets real-world demand, all while keeping founders disciplined on what truly drives their business forward. Beyond advisory and recruitment, Morpheus Group actively builds in-person ecosystems through curated events, dinners, and conferences, particularly in New York and San Francisco, establishing long-term trust and relationships in the startup community. Their approach emphasizes real-world engagement over tech gimmicks, proving that sometimes the most cutting-edge work starts with a handshake—or a coffee machine conversation.

Throughout the conversation, Ivor shares insights on evaluating founders, spotting conviction versus potential, and the advantages of maintaining small, agile teams in a rapidly evolving market. He also reflects on lessons learned from expansion into the U.S., emphasizing the value of being physically present to truly understand client businesses.

Visit Morpheus Group at www.morpheus-group.com/

Reach out to at ivor.stratford@morpheus-group.com

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

When the Investor Won’t Sign an NDA

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

During the diligence phase, startups may ask investors to sign an NDA.

If the information is truly confidential and proprietary, then it may make sense to ask for it.

Some investors may choose not to sign an NDA.

In this event, do the following:

Remove any information from the diligence that is considered highly confidential.

Provide the diligence box without this information and check to see if the investor is satisfied.

If not, then identify the specific information the investor is looking for.

This could be customer names and contact information.

In this case, come to an agreement on how the investor will use that information.

Set safeguards against cold calling the customer.

Perhaps set up a joint call with the customer for the investor to ask questions.

In summary, find out what information the investor is seeking specifically and then try to facilitate that piece of information.

General perusal may not be necessary to complete the investors’ diligence.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.