How Vivian Raised 750k in 10 minutes on Stonks.
“It was so easy, seamless, and honestly EXHILARATING” — Vivian Chen, CEO of Rise
Key Takeways:
- Rise raised $700k from a 10-minute pitch at Stonks Demo Day 5.
- Before Stonks, Vivian’s fundraising process was slow & tedious.
- Through a 10-minute pitch she was able to generate over 60 intro requests.
- This all culminated in over 750k raised from Stonks intros and a check from lead investors Bam Ventures w/ participation from many operator angels.
Vivian Chen was sitting through investor calls grinding through a slow, tedious raise process. Then, Stonks came into the picture — after a 10-minute pitch on a Stonks’ Demo Day, Chen raised over $750k.
Vivian’s startup Rise is about helping professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds grow their careers. However, during the early days of her fundraising process she found getting access to capital & high-quality investors a challenge.
“ As a female founder, getting access to capital and high-quality investors has always been a challenge, but Stonks leveled the playing field and the experience changed my life. ” — Vivian Chen
The Problem: Venture Capital is an industry built on warm introductions.
Historically, venture capital heavily relies on warm introductions and being connected to the industry - open Demo Days hosted by reputable organizations change that.
Vivian’s someone who previously helped grow companies like Greenhouse Software and consulted for executives from companies like Bain, AngelList and Klarna. So,on paper, fundraising for her pre-seed should have been a breeze.
The Solution: Apply to pitch on Stonks.
“Stonks allowed me to raise on my terms”- Vivian Chen
Our monthly Stonks Demo Day events receive hundreds of inbound applications every month and we can only accept a handful. We’re lucky to have met with Vivian who’s building a meaningful business with a fantastic mission.
During her pitch, she highlighted Rise’s strengths to an all-star cast of panellists, Jeff Queisser (Box), Amit Kumar (Accel) and Vivek Sodera. Hundreds of other accredited investors watched from the live Stonks audience.
“Stonks was hands-down the best part of my entire fundraising process.”, said Vivian. From her pitch she garnered over 60 intros live. In fact, eight investors signed wiring documents for tens of thousands of dollars — live before the pitch ended.
Meanwhile, Stonks oversaw accreditation checks, signatures, wire transfers and invested 50k — at no cost to Vivian.
Using Stonks as a recruiting & marketing tool.
A key benefit for Rise was the attention of the valuable audience watching her present. For many founders, that means just as much as closing their round with a lead investor and a number of high-quality operator angels through our platform.
Vivian now has an investor pipeline for future fundraising rounds, gained user signups and was approached by a handful of potential partners.
When Rise raises its next round, Vivian plans to apply for Stonks Demo Days again.
“Stonks was hands-down the best part of my entire fundraising process. It was so easy, seamless, and honestly EXHILARATING!! As a female founder, getting access to capital and high-quality investors has always been a challenge, but Stonks leveled the playing field and the experience changed my life. ” — Vivian Chen
Vivian’s Testimonial Video:
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