Funding HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS AND MARKETING, IVY FARM TECHNOLOGIES RILEY JACKSON The first thing to note is that many startups in any nascent industry don’t make it for one reason or another. I think the stat is that only about 20% of startups make it. So if you look at that average, we’re doing pretty well. There are companies thriving and some that are not, of course, and it’s heartbreaking to see anyone go under, but we learn from each other. It’s a collaborative space. Things are still optimistic and collaborative, even after companies go under. In terms of investment, the important things are perspective and transparency. Perspective is important so the investor understands relative pace. A venture capital company looking at what we’re doing is going to say, ‘That’s not fast enough.’ But we’re inventing this industry. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’re not going to follow a typical venture timeline. As an industry, we really didn’t know that going in. We’re making progress, and we’re moving much faster than your typical new biopharma tech. Having that perspective is important. Transparency and being able to say, ‘These are the challenges,’ is the other. I think many companies are afraid to say that to investors. But great investors appreciate transparency and say, ‘Great, now I know the risk, so I can make an informed decision.’ ELYSABETH ALFANO CEO, VEGTECH INVEST Get the investors that get the vision. Don’t bother to work with those that don’t get the vision because they’re not going to be with you for the long haul. You really have to work with those who can see the long-term vision, rather than the quick delta in profit. I also think it’s important to work with investors that see the value of building out foundational elements, like the supply chain and infrastructure, and not just the value in the innovation or the product. Infrastructure and supply chain are less sexy, but you want to work with someone who understands the value in investing in that. In terms of finding the right balance of investors, it’s not as if there is an over-flow of investors and we can all cherry pick which ones we want to work with. In today’s economy, you have to be realistic and get the money where you can get it. It remains a very dry, lacking capital kind of market. Should you be lucky enough to be able to cherry pick, I think it’s great to have a good portion, at least 30%, of visionaries that can help you strategize, stay true to the mission and go through the valley of death with a targeted vision. It’s also nice to have a third that’s there just for the money because you don’t want to have everybody up in your business all the time. That doesn’t work. And if you’re lucky enough that you can get non-equity capital, those grants and things that don’t change the cap table, well, then you’re really blessed. Alt-Meat May 2025 13
Alt-Meat May 2025: Page 13
