From Zero to Funding – How to Raise Money like a Pro

Raising money doesn’t start with a pitch deck. It starts with structure.

Before you speak to investors, you need a setup they can actually invest in. The wrong legal foundation, messy ownership, or weak positioning can cost you leverage — or K*ll momentum before it begins.

This workshop is the first session of the Startup Fundraising & Legal Bootcamp, a 4-part interactive series by Home of Innovation (HOIV) x Schoenherr Attorneys at Law.

The series walks founders through the full funding lifecycle — from your first check to your eventual exit — with practical, real-world insights and zero unnecessary legal jargon.

🚀 What This First Workshop Is About

In this session, we cover the “boring but deadly” fundamentals that most founders underestimate — and investors never ignore.

You’ll understand:

• Why your legal entity choice directly impacts your ability to raise
• How investors actually think when reviewing opportunities
• How to create deal heat and FOMO before sending a term sheet
• The difference between Pre-Money and Post-Money — and why getting the math wrong can silently destroy your ownership
• What makes an investor say “yes” during a pitch

We’ll also bring in a guest investor to deconstruct a real pitch deck — slide by slide — and reveal the exact moment they decided to invest.

🔍 Key Topics

✔ Entity Setup: Why you (probably) need a limited liability company now
✔ Creating FOMO: Structuring your raise so investors move fast
✔ Live Pitch Deck Deconstruction with a real investor
✔ Pre- vs. Post-Money fundamentals you cannot afford to misunderstand

Dominik Tyrybon | Attorney at Law, Schoenherr

Dominik is a key expert in Schoenherr’s Start-up & Venture Capital practice. He guides founders through early-stage convertibles, priced rounds, and complex VC negotiations. His firm is deeply involved in venture transactions and at the forefront of shaping legislation in this space.

This workshop is part of the Startup Fundraising & Legal Bootcamp — a 4-part interactive series covering:

1️⃣ Foundations & Investor Psychology
2️⃣ Convertibles (SAFE, CLA, FEA)
3️⃣ Term Sheet Negotiation (Live Simulation)
4️⃣ Cap Tables, Pitfalls & Exit Strategy

You can attend individual workshops — but we highly recommend joining the full journey for maximum clarity and leverage.

⚠️ Note: Later sessions assume you understand the basics. If you skip convertibles, we assume you know what a valuation cap is when we hit term sheets.

Designed for startup founders — no legal background required.
If you want to raise with clarity, structure, and confidence — this is where it starts.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher HOIV - Home of InnoVation