175: Raising Hardware Funding via an Angel Investor

Product Startup · 11 May 2023 · 20m

What this episode covers

Larry Richenstein, CEO of WePower Technologies and a New York Angels Network investor, explains that hardware angel investors require a working prototype to de-risk investments, as ideas alone are insufficient. He advises founders to find hardware-specific investors, integrate software elements for recurring revenue, and use crowdfunding to validate niche markets and avoid premature equity dilution. Richenstein also details his own venture, WePower Technologies, which develops energy-harvesting technology called GEMs to eliminate batteries in IoT devices.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 23m

    #015 - How to benefit for your hardware project from the first major crowdfunding platform, with Sandy Diao of Indiegogo, USA

    Sandy Diao, Director of Strategic Programs at Indiegogo, explains how the platform differs from Kickstarter through its for-profit business model, direct entrepreneur support, and hardware-focused audience. She discusses the importance of having working prototypes for crowdfunding success and cites exits like Misfit (acquired by Fossil) and IHang as evidence of the platform's value for raising follow-on funding. Diao also highlights Indiegogo's new initiatives, including Arrow Electronics certification for hardware trust and direct retailer connections, while noting cultural differences in launch timelines between Chinese and US entrepreneurs.

  • The Builder Circle · 1h 04m

    S1 E7: Level Up Your Hardware Product Pitch with Haje Kamps

    Haje Kamps, a pitch coach and former VC, explains why technology rarely speaks for itself and why founders must demonstrate founder-market fit, VC-scale potential, and bottom-market fit to secure funding. He argues that traction is the ultimate antidote to weak teams or poor storytelling, allowing founders to bypass complex narratives with proven growth metrics. Kamps warns against common pitfalls like building too few prototypes without market validation, using dense slides, or creating rigid product roadmaps that ignore hardware's inherent uncertainty. He emphasizes that successful pitching requires tailoring the story to the specific investor, focusing on clear milestones that unlock the next round of funding rather than just extending runway.

  • The Builder Circle · 39m

    S3 E4: An Impact Hardware VC's Playbook with Carlota Ochoa from Extentia

    Carlota Ochoa, Principal at Extentia Capital, explains that the fund looks for hardware startups with low residual R&D risk, step-change innovations, and a clear path to cost parity, rather than marginal green improvements. She highlights the importance of customer validation, focusing on a single initial market segment, and managing supply chain risks by avoiding rare earth elements where possible. Ochoa also warns against relying on crowdfunding for VC-backed companies, noting it creates dead equity, and advises founders to understand their financing partners' definitions of technology risk when scaling to commercial scale.

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 15m

    Deep Tech Investing

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  • The Builder Circle · 1h 15m

    S1 E9: Building a Strong Capital Stack for a Hardware Product with Orin Hoffman

    Orin Hoffman, founder of VXI Capital and former operator at iRobot and The Engine, explains how hardware founders should strategically structure their capital stack to mitigate the high technical and techno-economic risks of physical product development. He contrasts hardware with software, noting that hardware requires significant upfront equity to reduce risk before achieving an execution moat, and advises using a mix of venture capital, government non-dilutive funding, and debt. Hoffman highlights the importance of treating government funding (like SBIRs from the DoD or DoE) as a runway extender rather than a primary funding source, and warns against the 'product completion fallacy' where founders mistake a working prototype for a market-ready product.

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