PROJECTS THAT MAKE US PROUD
( Shows our Venture Catalyst Moxie )
Over the years, we are proud of our results. We have helped hundreds of small business entrepreneurs move to the next level and achieve greater success. Whether they needed a business strategy, product launch, profit maximization, access to capital…or something totally unique to that entrepreneur’s circumstances – We have delivered.
Karen Rands has been working with small business entrepreneurs since 1998. The results for those customer projects are described here.
High Tech
Software, Hardware, Devices
Sector: Environment/Renewable Energy
Services Provided: Access to Capital and Funding Assessment
Role in the project: Strategic Adviser
Achievements: Company developed a technology to convert plant refuse from the farming of coffee beans and to specifically process it and char it to be an alternative to coal that was a replaced energy creation 100%. Worked to develop business strategy and provide access to capital.
Sector: Agriculture / Technology wireless handheld
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor,
Achievements: Company offered a software & handheld scanner solution using infrared heat detection imaging for early detection of disease in soy bean plants. Their goal was to enable farmers to be able to apply a treatment earlier before the disease was evident on leaves. Their solution would communicate the findings back to a central cloud based computer. Our team arranged for financing and coordinated public private partnership with a University for commercialization and grant funding. The company went on to complete alpha tests and beta tests and expand into other agricultural crops.
Sector: Software / Health Care Info Portal
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: This company offered an online portal for the secure management and access to an individual’s health and medical records information. The company was seeking our expertise to provide insight on expansion into networks of potential users and assistance with developing corporate partnerships as validation to trigger attractiveness to investors. We provided them strategic planning and growth services, engagement with stake holders and access to capital. With the capital they attracted through our funding network, the company went on to secure multiple long term contracts with associations.
Sector: Cloud Based Software / Membership Portal
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The company had started with physical in person membership organizations focused on commercial real estate lead exchange and inside information sharing and wanted to develop an online portal for the sharing and management of leads and referrals. We helped them with their sequencing of development and go to market, along with strategic growth elements under a lean start up model by assessing their market demand for expansion to other markets and online access. We advised on structuring their financial offering to be compelling to stakeholders to fund the growth. Our team helped them structure and receive their initial funding and subsequently provided access to Series A funding. The company went on to expand into multiple marketing sales areas.
Sector: Tech / Polymer Processing Company
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company had developed a way to make latex non-allergenic at the cellular level. Further, the company established a unique value proposition that the cellular process was ‘green’ and sustainable. The initially engaged after raising their Seed and Series A round, when they were unable to attract any further capital and were considering a down round. company re-engaged multiple times to assist in advising on capital strategy and raising capital and investor readiness. We helped with business planning documents, investor pitch deck, capital strategy and structure and development of their due diligence package. Company had been struggling for a year to raise capital, with our advice and assistance they were able to restructure their offering, pass the financial due diligence and close on the capital needed to get through to the next round of finance. We continued to provide investor relations services and help them as they moved to become a public company. Participated in their negotiations to form a public/private partnership with a large Malaysian company and then to establish a farm for procuring their raw materials in that area.
Sector: Industrial Waste to Energy and Commercial Materials
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: This company had developed a way to take trash from landfills and convert it into 3 materials for alternative uses : Construction Materials, Shipping Platforms, and Fuel Pellets for Wood Burning Stoves. Our team helped with business plan development, investor deck, development of financing strategies that included public/private partnerships and facilitation of bridge financing from private investors to get to larger institutional financing for plant construction and operation. The company went on to engage with multiple municipalities to implement their solution for waste conversion.
Sector: Healthcare Digital Imaging
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Market Launch Strategy, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company developed and provided an integrated health care solution for diagnosis of multiple health conditions as determined by analysis of digital imaging. Their innovative breakthrough technology combined the digital images of multiple sources into a single stream lined image that with their intelligent data design could separate the new image based on the density of matter, so for example they could separate the blood in the brain from the vessels in the brain to see if a stroke was a blockage or a hemorrhage. Our team worked with the company management on capital strategy, team building, investor document development, and go to market strategy. We worked to develop the economic impact of their setting up operations in an enterprise zone to qualify for New Market Tax Credits and other Economic Development Funds. Facilitated development of business strategy, negotiation of royalty rights to elements for software integration, securing of capital and in-kind resources from a corporate partner for commercialization, and assistance in raising capital and development of team for go to market.
Sector: Educational Software/Gaming
Role in the project: Business Strategy Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The company offered a computer based educational game that taught users how to play the piano and had shown to have positive neuro response in Autistic children. To increase its market penetration it needed to bring a mobile, cloud based product to market, for a low entry point and subscription based revenue model. Our team helped with structuring the launch of the mobile product with a crowd funded campaign. To further development and enhancement we developed survey and assessments to gather the results from the long term computer based users and the beta testers for the first mobile app. Helped develop the strategy for restructuring the company to launch as a new technology company and obtain financing. Helped with modifications of their business plan, pitch deck and cap table. Conducted ongoing advice as a member of their Board of Advisors and continued investor relations services.
Sector: Retail Store inventory and sales/marketing management
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor & Mentor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company offered a cloud based software marketing system for grocery stores that integrated with their existing POS systems and established a loyalty model that intelligently provided decision data on promotions to run based on manufacturers promotions and existing inventory to increase bottom line profits. We were engaged to write their business plan, assist financial modeling and provide access to capital. Further we with strategic planning for expanding into new markets and extending their offering beyond grocery stores. We developed a pivot strategy that would bring them into a new sector for the growing “buy local” to gain loyalty from the community to support small businesses.
Sector: Biometric technology for identification of life
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company had developed a technology that through a hand-held scanner could identify if life existed through metal, stone, or other substance based on the electromagnetic signal of a heartbeat. The company had gone to market but had floundered. A strategic investor had joined the company to conduct a turn around and engaged our firm to help with the strategy development, investor marketing documents preparation, and investor relations. The technology was adopted by Emergency Disaster Early Response teams and Human Trafficking Identification and Prevention organizations.
Sector: Software for scanning and identifying materials
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company offered a modified x-ray scanning system that would scan a person or container as it passed through the physical portal to recognize the density of matter so that water could be differentiated from nitro-glycerin or sugar from cocaine. They had raised substantial amounts of money to created their Minimum Viable Product. We provided a capital strategy and access to capital that resulting in bridge financing to subsequent rounds and strategic investors. With the capital they attracted through our funding network, the company went on to secure multiple long term contracts with various border patrols and security agencies.
SCIENCE
Life Sciences, Bio-Med Products, Health Care Sector, Chemical Processing
Sector: Healthcare Digital Imaging
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Market Launch Strategy, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company developed and provided an integrated health care solution for diagnosis of multiple health conditions as determined by analysis of digital imaging. Their innovative breakthrough technology combined the digital images of multiple sources into a single stream lined image that with their intelligent data design could separate the new image based on the density of matter, so for example they could separate the blood in the brain from the vessels in the brain to see if a stroke was a blockage or a hemorrhage. Our team worked with the company management on capital strategy, team building, investor document development, and go to market strategy. We worked to develop the economic impact of their setting up operations in an enterprise zone to qualify for New Market Tax Credits and other Economic Development Funds. Facilitated development of business strategy, negotiation of royalty rights to elements for software integration, securing of capital and in-kind resources from a corporate partner for commercialization, and assistance in raising capital and development of team for go to market.
Sector: Tech / Polymer Processing Company
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company had developed a way to make latex non-allergenic at the cellular level. Further, the company established a unique value proposition that the cellular process was ‘green’ and sustainable. The initially engaged after raising their Seed and Series A round, when they were unable to attract any further capital and were considering a down round. company re-engaged multiple times to assist in advising on capital strategy and raising capital and investor readiness. We helped with business planning documents, investor pitch deck, capital strategy and structure and development of their due diligence package. Company had been struggling for a year to raise capital, with our advice and assistance they were able to restructure their offering, pass the financial due diligence and close on the capital needed to get through to the next round of finance. We continued to provide investor relations services and help them as they moved to become a public company. Participated in their negotiations to form a public/private partnership with a large Malaysian company and then to establish a farm for procuring their raw materials in that area.
Sector: Back-Office Doctor Practice Management
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company had developed a back office cloud based practice management software that streamlined patient registration and patient record management with a single dashboard for patient identification that integrated with the cloud, and validated insurance and insurance coverage prior to treatment. Key advantage to the medical practice was faster patient setup and check in, elimination errors in the insurance claims aspect, and increased cash flow by collecting insurance reimbursement in half the time. Our team helped with the development of the investor marketing materials, strategy, access to capital, and investor relations. When there was a team dispute, we worked with the board of advisors and key investors to mediate and put the company back on track.
Sector: Multiple companies representing different modalities for Cancer Treatment
Role in Project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: Over the course of 3 years we worked with 4 different life sciences company tackling different cancers types with different treatments. 1) Curative treatment for Pancreatic and Liver Cancer. 2) Alternative delivery of Liver cancer treatment to increase chemotherapy efficacy, 3) Treatment delivered to target the internal core of the cancer cell to trigger self destruction when the bio-markers of their own cells are ‘disguised’ to be a living cell, and 4) Breast Cancer treatment that identified the unique marker of different types of tumors. All received advice on business plan development, capital formation, capital strategy and access to capital from individual investors and venture capital funds.
Sector: Medical Device for Wound cleaning and management
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievement: Company had developed a convenient sterile, saline irrigation solution for emergency medical response, and had raised an initial round from the medical community at a high valuation that precluded their follow-on capital raises from angel investors. We advised them on restructuring and re-messaging, and provided access to capital to develop their next gen products.
Sector: Software / Health Care Info Portal
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: This company offered an online portal for the secure management and access to an individual’s health and medical records information. The company was seeking our expertise to provide insight on expansion into networks of potential users and assistance with developing corporate partnerships as validation to trigger attractiveness to investors. We provided them strategic planning and growth services, engagement with stake holders and access to capital. With the capital they attracted through our funding network, the company went on to secure multiple long term contracts with associations.
Sector: Chemical and Gamma Ray Waste Conversion
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company had developed and proven a methodology to convert non-recyclable plastics and Styrofoam back to its original petroleum base. The had a Minimum Viable Product and need capital to scale and build a larger version that could handle continuous flow of plastic waste. Our team helped them identify strategic investors and conduct investor relations with traditional angel investors.
Sector: Healthcare, patient care management
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company had developed a technology that integrated with a hospital bed for use with neonatal, burn victims, and other patient types where invasive bio-metric monitoring may negatively impact the patient care. They had floundered until a strategic investor stepped in and took over operations. The investor engaged our team to help with the development of the materials to attract other investors and participated in multiple investor relations activities to gain access to capital.
B2C
Businesses selling products and services directly to consumers
Sector: Offering an after market product for carrying personal items
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Financing
Achievements: Company had invented and commercialized carrier capable of being installed on the back of a vehicle but could support up to 300 lbs of weight. They received an order larger than the prior two years of business and needed to expand to meet the order and obtain financing beyond what their balance sheet or credit supported. We helped them engage with partners to manage the growth and finance the orders.
Sector: Consumer Food – Organic Snack Food
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company developed a flavorful organic popcorn snack and had secured initial orders. Our team assisted with developing their investor oriented business plan and investor deck development, capital strategy, access to capital, funding, and go to market strategy. We coached on language to investors and delivery of pitch deck. Provided short term debt and long term debt/equity through our funding network.
Sector: All Natural Skin Care Line of Products
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: Company developed an all natural line of skin care products with growing online sales presence and potential for retail channel distribution. We developed their expansion strategy and business plan and helped target strategic investors to finance their contracts. Advised on negotiating joint venture and private label opportunities that protected their intellectual property.
Sector: Organic Farming to Consumer Market
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company had developed a methodology to increase the yield of their organic farm and was seeking to duplicate and expand, and increase distribution. Worked with CEO to develop strategy for raising capital and facilitate access to capital. Assessed their different funding needs and coordinated access to the various forms of capital. They were at the forefront of the surge in demand for organic products.
Sector: Educational Software/Gaming
Role in the project: Business Strategy Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The company offered a computer based educational game that taught users how to play the piano and had shown to have positive neuro response in Autistic children. To increase its market penetration it needed to bring a mobile, cloud based product to market, for a low entry point and subscription based revenue model. Our team helped with their crowdfunding campaign to get the mobile product developed and worked to launch the mobile product. To further development and enhancement we developed survey and assessments to gather the results from the long term computer based users and the beta testers for the first mobile app. Helped develop the strategy for restructuring the company to launch as a new technology company and obtain financing. Helped with modifications of their business plan, pitch deck and cap table. Conducted ongoing advice as a member of their Board of Advisors and continued investor relations services.
Sector: Selling Diapers and other Hygiene products to consumers
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company offered a diapers focused on marketing to an ethnic market with strategic alliance with a child cartoon character for branding. Helped company modify and enhance their business plan to qualify for private investor financing. Subsequently helped them modify their plan to qualify for debt financing. Worked with them to establish vendor contracts and negotiate terms.
Sector: Ecommerce portal for the aggregate of sustainable and ‘green’ products Finance
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company was at the forefront of providing membership group portal and directory listings and evaluation, this was specific to how ‘green’ a company was in their use and manufacturing of products, shipping methodology etc. Our team helped with capital strategy, access to capital and development of their business plan and investor deck.
Sector: Online Game with a ‘smart’ toy
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company was at the forefront of providing child online games with retail toy animals that held a smart chip to unlock key features in the game. Our team helped with capital strategy, access to capital and development of their business plan and investor deck.
Sector: Entertainment
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company had developed a full creative and distribution strategy for horror genre movie targeted at teens and young adults. Our team helped with capital strategy, and access to capital
Sector: AR/VR consumer gaming and simulation
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company had patented a fully integrated solution for augmented reality role play that based on facial recognition would replace the person being viewed with the celebrity of your choice. Given that technology had not yet caught up to the design of the technology to have massive market adoption, we helped the develop a Step 1 offering using existing low cost tech and gain market share as they prepared their high tech AR/VR solution. Helped develop their advisory team and strategic investor introductions from the industry. Our team helped with capital strategy, access to capital and development of their business plan and investor deck.
Sector: Fashion sports footwear
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: The Company had developed multiple designs for designer athletic footwear ready to bring to market. Our team helped with initial crowd funding capital strategy, advising on negotiating a supplier and reseller agreement with financing, and development of their business plan and investor deck.
B2B
Businesses selling directly to other Businesses
Sector: Retail Store inventory and sales/marketing management
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor & Mentor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company offered a cloud based software marketing system for grocery stores that integrated with their existing POS systems and established a loyalty model that intelligently provided decision data on promotions to run based on manufacturers promotions and existing inventory to increase bottom line profits. We were engaged to write their business plan, assist financial modeling and provide access to capital. Further we with strategic planning for expanding into new markets and extending their offering beyond grocery stores. We developed a pivot strategy that would bring them into a new sector for the growing “buy local” to gain loyalty from the community to support small businesses.
Sector: Software for scanning and identifying materials
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: This company offered a modified x-ray scanning system that would scan a person or container as it passed through the physical portal to recognize the density of matter so that water could be differentiated from nitro-glycerin or sugar from cocaine. They had raised substantial amounts of money to created their Minimum Viable Product. We provided a capital strategy and access to capital that resulting in bridge financing to subsequent rounds and strategic investors. With the capital they attracted through our funding network, the company went on to secure multiple long term contracts with various border patrols and security agencies. Further they went on to modify the underlying technology to scan agricultural products as it came through various points of entry to ensure there was elimination of any and all pests without pesticides.
Sector: Offering solution for public safety and private security firms
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor
Achievements: Company has developed a wireless communication methodology to coordinate the signal from hand held lights to pattern lights on vest, with additional enhancements to provide other communications for emergency monitoring. With tremendous job creation potential, we conducted an analysis of the economic impact with the company directly and the cost benefit analysis of the application of the solution to save the lives of public works and public safety employees. Helped them with financing strategy and go to market strategy.
Sector: Eco-friendly 3D printing selling to Landscapers and Designers
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company had developed a methodology to print a life like image of hard goods such as tiles, bricks and carpet samples so designers could request samples without getting the actual products, saving on fuel consumption in shipping and in the manufacturing of the samples. Facilitated access to capital and angel investment funding, helped with business expansion.
Sector: Taking waste from one industry to repurpose in another industry
Role in the project: Strategic Advisor, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company offered a patented process for recycling carpets to be used as source plastic for car bumpers they needed to increase capacity for growing demand. Our team provided assistance with development of the business plan, pitch deck, capital strategy and access to investors that sought ways to have greater impact on the environment with their investment dollars.
Sector: Using a high capacity RFID technology for business to manage supply chain and manufacturing and maintenance records.
Role in the project: Investor Relations
Achievements: Company had developed their Minimum Viable Product that solved the problem of RFID chips having to be tied to the Cloud for data records, by increasing capacity for storage on the chip by 1000x – from the equivalent of existing RFID chip tech of a business card amount of data to a Phone book size amount of data. Chip was passive and only turned on through the use of the scanner/reader. They needed to raise capital to do another run of the semi-conductor memory chips for their target customers to conduct trials in the auto manufacturing for entire lifecycle of a vehicle, transportation for safety and maintenance records management, bio-med for monitoring and tracking sanitization from gamma ray, and defense industries for monitoring inventory at remote base and facility location. They successful raised multiple rounds of capital through our funding network.
Sector: Small business web development and ecommerce tools
Role in the project: Strategic Advisory, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company had developed an open sourced solution set for small business owners to easily develop their websites and integrate various tools and plugins to customize the functionality. They were at the forefront of what is common place now and through strategice relations with hosting companies became a dominant player early on. Our team helped develop the capital strategy, investor marketing documents including business plan and pitch deck and provided access to capital through our investor relations services and funding network.
Sector: Franchising selling restaurant concept to small business owners
Role in the project: Strategic planning, Investor Relations
Achievements: Company had developed a successful BBQ restaurant concept with 3 locations. We helped them develop their franchising strategy, engage strategic partners and financing to begin expansion. Conducted industry research for shopping center partnerships
