GET YOUR FREE SOCKS: Seren will send the first 100 listeners that sign up for the AI Portfolio Monitoring waitlist a pair of Dealum’s signature red socks. What better way to impress your fellow angels at the next pitch event?! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4deo9NH
Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:
The 30% spike in startup fundraising activity in Q4 2024 - Seren shared data showing a remarkable uptick in companies submitting fundraising applications, which could have a wide range of implications.
The company is onboarding 2,000 new companies per month - That's 108,000 startups total with structured data! Such a value-add for the ecosystem.
The painful reality of the "pitch deck black hole" - Seren's firsthand experience as a failed founder gives her empathy for entrepreneurs who send applications “into the void.” This perspective is so important for investors to consider as we design and implement our processes.
I explore these ideas and more with Seren Rumjancevs, CEO of Dealum.
Seren brings a rare 360-degree perspective to early-stage investing as Dealum's CEO, having previously served as a founder, accelerator manager, and innovation consultant across Estonia and the UK. Since 2019, she's led the platform that now manages deal flow for over 240 investor communities worldwide with data on more than 108,000 startups. Her firsthand experience with the "pitch deck black hole" as a former founder drives her mission to create greater transparency and efficiency across the early-stage fundraising ecosystem.
During our conversation, Seren shares:
How a perfect storm of platform failures created both opportunity and skepticism - revealing the challenges European startups face when trying to win trust from US angel communities during a crisis.
Insights from tracking 108,000 startups globally, including recent data showing a 30% spike in fundraising activity starting in Q4 2023.
Why portfolio tracking remains a major operational challenge for angel groups, detailing how Dealum’s newest AI solution will transform unstructured email updates into structured data visualizations.
What We Cover:
00:00 Introduction
03:11 Dealum's AI Feature Rollout
03:54 Dealum Platform Overview
05:20 Company and Investor Statistics
08:26 AI Integration in Dealum
13:24 Seren's Entrepreneurial Journey
18:27 Dealum's Expansion to the US Market
23:23 Future Plans and Market Trends
25:07 Key Lessons for New Angels
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Connect with Russ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenrumjancevs/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dealum/
X: https://twitter.com/Dealum_/
Connect with Andrew
Newsletter: https://thediligentobserver.substack.com
X: https://twitter.com/AKazlow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkazlow/
Book: https://angelops.pitchfact.com/
Website: https://pitchfact.com/
Stuff We Reference
Dealum: https://dealum.com/
Trends in Funding Rates – What’s Hot and What’s Not – Part 1: https://angelcapitalassociation.org/blog/trends-in-funding-rates-whats-hot-and-whats-not-part-1/
Trends in Funding Rates – What’s Hot and What’s Not – Part 2: https://angelcapitalassociation.org/blog/trends-in-funding-rates-whats-hot-and-whats-not-part-2/
Rein and Rain: https://dealum.com/about
Jeffrey Lang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-s-lang-2870971/
Playtech: https://www.playtech.com/
EstBAN: https://estban.ee/
ACA: https://angelcapitalassociation.org/
Valhalla Angels: https://www.valhallaprivatecap.com/
Desert Angels: https://www.linkedin.com/company/desert-angels/
Proseeder: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proseeder/
Tartu Science Park: https://teaduspark.ee/en/
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All opinions expressed are personal and may not reflect the views of the individual’s organization or of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.