FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the criteria to pitch for one of CIN's Pitch & Mix events?
Entrepreneurs are invited to apply to pitch at a CIN Pitch & Mix event if they meet the following criteria:
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Early-stage private company (Series A or earlier)
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Seeking capital and/or advisers/mentors/board members
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Dedicated to progress and excellence
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Enjoys collaborating and building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships
How do I find an angel investor?
Generally speaking, there are many ways to meet angel investors, some tips we can give:
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Do Your Research – You’ll want to identify angel investors who are experts in your area of business, one way to do this is to research who has previously invested in startups that are similar to your own.
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Leverage Your Existing Network – Kindly ask your professional network for an introduction to potential angel investors if they have a connection. The tech ecosystem in Victoria is very friendly and welcoming, so a warm intro can go a long way.
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Attend Networking Events – Proactively get your business idea out there and make real life connections with potential investors. They could be speaking at an event, or attending pitch sessions, etc. Introduce yourself and your company with the goal to secure a follow-up meeting at a later date.
What resources are available for startups here in Victoria?
Apart from applying to pitch at one of our Pitch & Mix events to get networked with local angel investors and advisors, there are a variety of resources for entrepreneurs looking to leverage experienced and knowledgable professionals to help grow their startups.
VIATEC’s Accelerate Tectoria – With the simple mission to increase the number of successful technology companies that start and grow in the Greater Victoria area, Accelerate Tectoria offers a variety of structured venture development service designed to guide, coach and grow ambitious early-stage technology entrepreneurs.
Alacrity Foundation – Alacrity Canada facilitates success and economic growth in the Western Canadian technology sector by providing support and entrepreneurial mentorship to promising entrepreneurs, in addition to finding and connecting these individuals with the venture capital funding needed to develop thriving local tech companies.
Women's Equity Lab – Right here in Victoria is the first all women angel investment group in Canada. WEL invests in all opportunities with early traction and in line valuations and good growth, but with a weighting towards women founders.
Is Capital Investment Network an angel fund?
No, we are an angel group. Our network of accredited investors makes active investments in startup companies in Greater Victoria and abroad, all with varying interests and expertise. We connect promising entrepreneurs with angel investors at our Pitch & Mix events which can lead to individual investments, but we do not invest through Capital Investment Network directly.
When am I ready to approach angel investors for capital?
In the spectrum of raising capital for your company, angel investors invest at the earliest stages of startups, so it is never too early to be networking and start having conversations. Many angels have their own criteria or preference, some willing to invest in an amazing idea still only in your head, some who wait to see progress or traction in product development, customer acquisition, or even revenue.
How do I apply to pitch at CIN's events?
We no longer have a formal application process available from our website, as we only host pitch events each quarter.
Please subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on upcoming events and watch for our call-outs to startups to apply for events. We will give all of the necessary information at those specific times we are looking.
Many of our pitch companies are also found through community networking events hosted by VIATEC, Alacrity, or through individual members of Capital Investment Network. Networking is a great way to get involved with CIN.
Acronyms
API – Application Programming Interface
AR – Accounts Receivable
ARR – Annual Recurring Revenue
ARR – Annual Run Rate
ASP – Application Service Provider
AUM – Assets Under Management
B2B – Business to Business
B2C – Business to Consumer
BDC – Business Development Company
BOD – Board of Directors
BR – Bounce Rate
BS – Balance Sheet
CAC – Customer Acquisition Cost
CAGR – Compound Annual Growth Rate
CAPEX – Capital Expenditures
CLTV – Customer Lifetime Value
CMS – Content Management System
COB – Close of Business
COGS – Cost of Goods Sold
CPA – Cost per Acquisition
CPC – Cost per Click
CPC – Cost per Conversion
CPL – Cost per Lead
CPU – Central Processing Unit
CPU – Cost per Unit
CR – Conversion Rate
CR – Credit
CRM – Customer Relationship Management
CT – Cap Table
CTA – Call to Action
CTR – Click-through Rate
DD – Due Diligence
DNS – Domain Name Server
DR – Debit
EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization
EPS – Earnings per Share
ESOP – Employee Stock Option Plan
EV – Enterprise Value
FIFO – First In First Out
FFF – Friends & Family Round
FY – Fiscal Year
GA – Google Analytics
GMV – Gross Merchandise Value
GP – General Partner
HR – Human Relations
HTML – Hyper-text Markup Language
IM – Instant Messaging
IPO – Initial Public Offering
IRR – Internal Rate of Return
IP Address – Internet Protocol Address
ISP – Internet Service Provider
KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid
KPI – Key Performance Indicator
LLC – Limited Liability Company
LP – Limited Partner
LTM – Last Twelve Months
LTV – Lifetime Value
MF – Management Fee
MoM – Month over Month
MRR – Monthly Recurring Revenue
MSP – Multi-sided Platform
NACO – National Angel Capital Association
NAV – Net Asset Value
NDA – Non Disclosure Agreement
NPV – Net Present Value
OS – Operating System
PaaS – Platform as a Service
P&L – Profit and Loss Statement
PIK – Payments in Kind
PIPE – Private Investment for Public Equity
PIV – Pooled Investment Vehicle
PM – Project Manager
PMF – Product Market Fit
POC – Proof of Concept
PPC – Pay per Click
PR – Public Relations
QA – Quality Assurance
QoQ – Quarter over Quarter
R&D – Research and Development
RAM – Random Access Memory
ROA – Return on Assets
ROE – Return on Equity
ROFR – Right of First Refusal
ROI – Return on Investment
SaaS – Software as a Service
SAFE – Simple Agreement for Future Equity
SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
SEM – Search Engine Marketing
SHA – Shareholders Agreement
SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis
TS – Term Sheet
UI – User Interface
ULPA – Uniform Limited Partnership Act
VC – Venture Capital / Venture Capitalist
VPN – Virtual Private Network
WOM – Word of Mouth
WoW – Week over Week
YoY – Year over Year
YTD – Year to date