What does it mean to be “Investor Ready” in 2025? (Hint: A Deck Alone Won't Cut It Anymore)

Welcome to the 11th edition of The Good News Newsletter—proudly serving over 3,109 founders! Here, we break down the latest insights from our weekly Investor Office Hours sessions and equip you with tools to help you secure capital, customers, and talent for your business.

Missed the live session? Listen to the recording here.
Want to join the next session? Check out the full list of investors here.
Help us build Plaza 210! Learn more about this exciting project here.

Plaza 210 Update: We've exceeded $10,000 in donations!

I'm honestly blown away. As of today, $10,370 has been raised by 124 amazing people who believe in what we're building with Plaza 210 and The Center for Faith & Business.

When we launched this campaign, I had no clue if the community would actually jump in to support this vision. It's now very clear that there is an incredible market for those that want spaces for Faith & Business to coincide.

Every single donation, every share, every prayer, every encouraging message has gotten us closer to making this real a reality.

Because of your support, we're now able to move forward with the non-profit incorporation process for The Center For Faith & Business!

To all who are believing in us: THANK YOU. Your belief works miracles.

We'll keep you all updated along the way!

Watch Our Pitch Here: https://youtu.be/wilFOrd8kFU?si=rxyTadzgqOVpgkJq
Donate Here: https://gofund.me/28a73156

Office Hours Recap:
After a 6 week break for paternity leave we are back with our weekly Investor Office Hours, now hosting them in partnership with the Startup Community led by @TheBestOfAdam on X!

Session #1 - Alex Tong, Co-Founder & General Partner at Seguin Ventures

Stage: Pre-Seed to Seed

Industry: AI-native enterprise software, specifically targeting legacy B2B categories like ERP, CRM, ITSM, supply chain management, and accounting

Check Size: $200K - $400K initial check size

How to Apply: Founders can reach out directly via LinkedIn or X if aligned with their thesis (AI-native enterprise software). Seguin is research-led, so founders with domain expertise and solutions addressing clearly defined market pain points are encouraged to engage.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Focus on Replacing Legacy Enterprise Software: Seguin Ventures is specifically looking for AI-native solutions targeting entrenched but outdated B2B software categories (ERP, CRM, supply chain, accounting, etc.). Their thesis centers on how AI creates a wedge to replace these legacy incumbents.

2. Backing Experienced Operators: They prioritize founders with deep domain expertise—either prior startup experience, significant operating roles, or deep technical knowledge in the sectors they’re targeting. Conviction, clarity of purpose, and a strong “why now” are critical.

3. Research-Driven & Targeted: Seguin doesn’t operate with a high-volume top-of-funnel approach. They take a research-led strategy to identify market gaps, validate demand with industry advisors and LPs, and then seek out founders building directly against those identified opportunities. They often invest pre-incorporation or very early in company formation.

Session #2 - Joséphine Kant, Principal at Dogwood Ventures

Stage: Late Seed / Early Series A

Industry: B2B SaaS (agnostic across sectors but with particular interest in Future of Work, Future of Learning, and GovTech)

Check Size: $1M – $2M, typically leading priced rounds

How to Apply: Visit Dogwood Ventures' website and review their open-sourced diligence process on their blog. They encourage transparency and founders can prepare by reviewing the questions and approach before reaching out.

Key Takeaways from Session:

1. Clarity, Transparency, and Speed: Dogwood Ventures differentiates itself by prioritizing speed and transparency in their investment process. They openly share their diligence process, including the questions they ask founders and customers. This level of transparency helps founders better understand how to engage and prepare for the fundraising journey.

2. Deep Empathy for Founders: Joséphine’s background in entrepreneurship and operating roles drives her deep empathy for founders. She prioritizes relationships and believes VC’s primary role is to serve entrepreneurs. This shapes Dogwood’s approach—leaning in early, writing conviction-driven first checks, and maintaining strong, personal connections with founders.

3. Founder Fit Matters Most: Dogwood looks for founders with authentic connections to the problem they’re solving and a track record of resilience. Personal motivation and clarity on why this problem matters to the founder are key indicators of long-term grit. They favor founders who invest in their own well-being and who can articulate how their background uniquely positions them for success.

Funding Resources:

💰 Resources of the Week:

AlphaLab Accelerator Program

AlphaLab provides funding, mentorship, and deep connections to investors, customers, and talent to help founders scale faster. Tracks include Software, Hardware (Gear), Health, and Robotics.

$100K | Deadline: 7/18/2025

Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator powered by gener8tor

Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator, powered by gener8tor and sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners, invests in up to five companies per year focused on fintech or related industry. Each startup selected for the 12-week program receives a $100,000 investment and a high-touch, concierge accelerator experience.

$100K | Deadline: 7/22/2025

CHASM Grant

A $20K grant from CHASM to help a female founder build something bold. Open to any industry at Pre-Seed or Seed stage.

$20K | Deadline: 7/23/2025

The Allstate Main Street Grants Program

This 12-week Boost Camp accelerator will support 250 entrepreneurs in strengthening operations, planning for growth, and improving financial stability. Of these, 63 will receive a $20,000 grant to invest in tools and strategies to grow their business.

$20K | Deadline: 7/25/2025

ETN Pilotathon & Showcase 2025

Connects entrepreneurs of color in the Gulf South with clean energy pilot projects in marginalized communities, building on the ACCESS Contractor Bootcamp and backed by Wells Fargo’s Innovation Incubator (IN2).

Industry Access | Deadline: 7/31/2025

Build in Tulsa Product Pitch Night

An 8-week sprint for Tulsa-based founders with physical products or prototypes, culminating in a live pitch competition with up to $36K in non-dilutive cash prizes. Ideal for companies in Deep Tech, Robotics, CleanTech, Hardware, Consumer Goods, and Wellness.

Up to $20K | Deadline: 8/4/2025

🎙️ Podcast of the Week:

In this episode of The Product Market Fit Show, Benedetta Lucini shares her candid story of building Oval Money—a fintech app that raised $10M, grew to 500K users, yet ultimately failed. She reflects on the challenges of navigating complex partnerships, the dangers of tying your growth to one corporate partner, and the painful realities of running out of cash. Despite the outcome, Benedetta offers valuable insights on resilience, leadership, and lessons learned the hard way through the collapse of a venture-backed startup.

Why I recommend it: This episode is a masterclass in humility and honesty for any founder navigating the rollercoaster of startups. Benedetta’s transparency about mistakes made—from overhiring to underestimating the difficulty of corporate partnerships—makes this a must-listen for anyone building in fintech or any industry where partnerships are key. It’s a reminder that traction, funding, and even a great team aren’t enough if your foundation isn’t strong—and it reinforces why thoughtful, disciplined leadership matters most. You can listen here.

💸 Alternative Funding Sources:

Access up to $2M in non-dilutive debt financing. Request information here.

Raise up to $5M in equity capital through a Community Round. Request information here.

Need 1 on 1 support in securing capital? I will be working 1 on 1 with select founders to help. Interested founders can learn more and consider submitting their company here.

Inspiration

💬 Tweet of the Week

🙏🏽 Scripture of the Week

That’s all for this week’s edition of The Good News Newsletter. We hope you found these insights valuable as you continue your journey to securing funding.

What’s next?

Join us the next Friday for more amazing guests joining us for Office Hours.

We have Matt Hickman, Investment Principal at Plains Ventures.

​As the oldest and largest venture capital firm in Oklahoma, Plains Ventures uncover groundbreaking ideas and entrepreneurs to invest in.

If interested in joining and/or pitching, please register here.

You can see the full list of past and future VCs on this Calendar.

Be on the look out for our newsletter next week where we’ll bring you more actionable advice, resources, and success stories.

Let’s All, spread ‘The Good News’

Best,
Darrel Frater
Co-Founder
The Frater Family Foundation
Linkedin | Twitter/X | 609-804-5999

P.S. - If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to a founder you know who could benefit from these insights!

P.S.S. - Got ideas or suggestions for The Good News? Shoot me an email at [email protected] for us to discuss!

About TFFF: The Frater Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the family office of Darrel and Roselly Frater, dedicated to promoting human prosperity through entrepreneurship. To learn more, reach out to Darrel Frater directly.